Cream of Tomato Soup

This soup positioned itself as a high ranking item on my family’s most-wanted food list. As its name promises, it is super creamy with a perfectly balanced combination of tartness, zest, and sweetness. Its crowd-pleasing properties make this soup a perfect dish when you’re expecting company, especially since it can be made ahead of time. Kids love it, so this is an excellent way to add even more healthy food to their menu.

You will need:

• high speed blender
• immersion blender (not absolutely necessary but helpful)

Ingredients: (for about 6 servings)

For soup:

• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large sweet onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 lbs (2300 g) Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 Tbsp dried basil
• 3 Tbsp maple syrup
• 4 Tbsp veggie broth concentrate or store-bought granulated instant vegetable broth to taste
• crushed red pepper flakes to taste (optional, omit for kids!)

For cashew cream:

• 1 generous cup (140 g) raw, unsalted cashews, soaked in cold water for at least 4 hours or overnight, drained
• 1 cup (240 ml) water
• ½ tsp Celtic sea salt

Garnish with:

• saved cashew cream
• more crushed red pepper
• fresh basil galore
• homemade croutons, optional (*see notes)

Preparation:

Preheat a large pot over medium heat. Add olive oil with diced onion and sauté for about 7 minutes or until soft.

Add garlic, tomatoes, dried basil, maple syrup, veggie broth concentrate (or store-bought substitute), and crushed red pepper. Stir well, and bring to a boil. Cook uncovered over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Turn off heat and let sit for 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, place drained cashews with water and Celtic sea salt into your high speed blender.

Process at highest setting for about 2 minutes until very creamy.

Use an immersion blender to purée the soup to your desired consistency. For a creamy texture, make sure all the tomato chunks are gone.

If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can also pulse the soup in batches in your blender or food processor.

Add most of the cashew cream to the soup, stir well, and bring to a simmer again. I like to save some cream for a nice finishing touch.

Turn off heat, pour remaining cashew cream into the center, and use a spoon to create a little swirl. Garnish with more crushed red pepper and fresh basil. Enjoy!

Notes:

• Homemade croutons, baguette, or dinner rolls are perfect companions for this soup.
• *) For homemade croutons, cut a mini baguette into small cubes. Preheat a frying pan on medium heat and add a hearty amount of extra virgin olive oil with baguette cubes. Pan-fry until golden brown and serve with your soup.