I keep a fairly simple weekday dinner routine to keep time and costs down during the week and letting me have some downtime. In that spirit, every Tuesday in our house is grilled cheese and tomato soup night. It’s simple, quick to prepare, and (relatively) healthy, provided one goes easy on the butter. That said, as someone who has actively been trying to avoid processed foods, I have a certain soft spot in my heart for Campbell’s tomato soup. It reminds me of my childhood, and made with milk it’s creamy and oh so satisfying.

Well, a couple Tuesdays ago I went to make dinner and lo my usual stash of a few cans of Campbell’s was gone! I had forgotten to restock and was left with the possibility of no soup with our sandwiches. Necessity being what it is, I pulled out a few ingredents and hit up the internet to build a quick recipe for my own homemade tomato soup, and this was the result. It’s creamy buy not heavy, distinctly tomato-y, and made right, it can even be vegan!

The first time I made this I didn’t add any baking soda, and it was noticibly acidic, even after adding some sugar to attempt to balance the flavor a bit. The next time I used the baking soda and it brought it right in line. The amount can be varied to your taste.

Simple Tomato Soup

Yield: Approx 4 cups of soup

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp Olive Oil and/or Butter
• 1 small-medium Onion, roughly diced
• 2-3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 800g (28 oz) can Whole Tomatos
• 1 1/2c Water or Stock (I generally use Better Than Bouillon Beef Base)
• 1/4 c Olive Oil and/or Butter
• Salt, Pepper and Spices to Taste (Experiment!)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp baking soda (optional, reduces acid)

Instructions:

1. Sweat the onions in olive oil and/or butter until translucent and softened, 10-15 mins
2. Add garlic and continue sweating until fragrant, 2-3 mins
3. Add tomatoes and all liquid and bring to a simmer, crushing with the back of a spoon. Simmer 10-15 mins or until tomatoes being to soften
4. Add stock or water and continue simmering, 10-15 mins
5. Remove from heat and puree soup with an immersion blender until smooth, adding additional olive oil and seasonings if desired.
6. Add baking soda if using, soup will froth slightly.
7. Return to heat to warm, serve.

Nutrition Info:

Per 2 cups:

• 450 Calories
• 38 g Fat
• 1200 mg Sodium
• 24 g Carbs
• 6 g Protein

References:

1. Classic Tomato Soup - Chow.com
2. Creamy Tomato Soup - King Arthur Flour