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It's fall here in Michigan, and that means soup season!
I have been wanting to try my hand at a homemade tomato soup for quite some time and today was finally the day.
This recipe is the lightened-up version of a traditional tomato basil soup that would use butter and heavy cream, and it's packed with flavor!
Roasting vegetables really brings out the richness of their flavor. The natural sugars caramelize and add a beautiful sweetness. And there's just nothing like fresh roasted garlic!!
And one of the best things about this recipe is that you can make it as a soup or a sauce! Simply leave out the vegetable broth to make this into a delicious sauce for some whole wheat pasta. Top with some nutty parmesan as a cheese alternative and mmmmmmm, enjoy.
You'll start off by prepping your veggies for roasting.
Cut the pepper into quarters and remove the seeds. Peel the onion and cut it into chunks. I used a small to medium-sized onion. If yours is larger, consider using half.
Place the cherry tomatoes, peppers and onions in a mixing bowl and top with a bit of olive oil. Use your hands and really mix the oil into the veggies to coat them. Transfer to a lined baking sheet.
For the garlic, cut the top off the bulb. You want to make sure to cut the tops off all the cloves so the garlic will pop out easily after roasting. Add the garlic to the pan and drizzle a bit of olive oil on top.
Roast the veggies on the middle rack for about 30-35 minute. Then flip the peppers over and continue roasting. Keep an eye on the onions and remove any that seem to be getting charred or burnt.
Roast for a total of 50-60 minutes until the peppers are soft.
Your house is going to smell SOOOOO good!!!!!
Remove the pan from the oven and move the peppers and garlic to a cutting board to cool enough so you can handle them.
Once cool enough to handle, remove the skins from the peppers and pop the cloves out from the bulb of garlic.
Now you can process the soup one of two ways.
1) If you have a hand-held immersion blender: add all of the vegetables, garlic and remaining ingredients into a saucepan and blend until smooth
2) Use a food processor or blender: add HALF of the veggies, garlic and basil to the processor AT A TIME or you will end up exploding soup out from under the lid if it's too full (yes, I tested this, not on purpose, but I can attest to the fact that this will happen). Then add the blended vegetable to a saucepan with the remaining ingredients.
MAKE SURE TO COVE THE PAN and simmer on low for about 10 to 15 minutes to let the flavors blend. If you don't cover the pan, it will EXPLODE ALL OVER THE STOVE. Again, I tested this out for you so you don't have to mess up your stove.
Finally, scoop out a bowl of deliciousness. :)
My husband topped his with some parmesan cheese. He really liked this soup, so I can say that it is hubby tested and approved!
He is so sweet in supporting me in my plant-based lifestyle. Such a good sport and guinea pig ;)
As a sauce, this would be amazing on any type of whole wheat pasta or ravioli. Add a leafy green salad and fresh fruit and you have a fabulous meal packed full of nutrition!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!
Roasted Red Pepper, Tomato & Garlic Soup (or Sauce)
6 Servings
Cook Time: 1hr 15 min
Ingredients:
4-5 cups cherry/grape tomatoes
2 red bell peppers, quartered, seeded
1 small/medium red onion, halved and sliced into chunks
1 whole bulb of fresh garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp (divided
6 large fresh basil leaves (about 1/3 cup packed)
1/4 cup soy milk
1/2 cup vegetable broth (omit if making sauce)
1 Tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
Place tomatoes, peppers and onion in a large bowl. Add in 1 Tbsp olive oil and mix with hands to coat all of the vegetables well.
Place vegetables on baking sheet in a single layer.
Cut top off garlic bulb to expose cloves and remove lose skins from around the sides. Place bulb cut side up in the middle of the vegetables. Drizzle 1 tsp olive oil over top.
Bake for 60 minutes, turning over peppers about half-way through. Remove onions if they look like they may start to burn.
Remove from oven. Place peppers and garlic on a cutting board and allow to cool slightly.
Once able to handle, remove skins from peppers and pop the garlic out from the skins.
In a food processor, combine half of the tomatoes/onions, peppers, garlic and basil and process well. Pour into a medium/large saucepan. Process second half and add to the pan.
Add in remaining ingredients.
Cover and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes until heated through and flavors blend.
Adjust salt/pepper to taste.
Notes:
I like to use soy milk in this recipe to give it a hint of creaminess and the natural sweetness counters the acidity of the tomatoes without having to add sugar.
Make sure to use a high-quality aged balsamic vinegar for the richest flavor.
Depending on the size of your food processor, you will need to process the vegetables in 2 batches to prevent exploding out from under the lid (see story above.)
During simmer time, be sure to cover the pan to prevent soup from exploding all over your stove (again, see story above.)
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below to share your feedback.
