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What better way to celebrate the bounty of summer’s vibrant flavors than with a bowl of tomato basil soup and some warm crusty bread? Picked fresh from the garden or from the farmer’s market, veggies are the stars in this recipe. This version takes a simple recipe a step further by adding fresh diced avocado and jalapenos. There’s no seeding and peeling tomatoes in this recipe so it’s a snap to make–and the best part is that kids love it too!
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 jalapenos, seeded and diced (one for the soup, one for the garnish)
- 2 large bunches of basil, about 1 cup's worth of leaves, cut into ribbons
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 tbsp. sugar (add to taste)
- ¾ cup milk or heavy cream
- 1 tsp. salt
- Pepper
- One avocado, diced for garnish
- Parmesan cheese, grated for garnish
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, carrots, and one diced jalapeno. Saute until garlic is fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
- Sprinkle in salt and pepper. Add the chopped tomatoes to pot and stir. Continue cooking over medium heat until tomatoes have given up their juices and are very tender, about 25 minutes depending on size and firmness of your tomatoes.
- Stir in fresh basil.
- Using an immersion blender, puree into a smooth texture.
- Stir in butter and milk/cream and sugar.
- Add more salt, pepper and sugar to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with diced jalapeno, avocado and parmesan cheese for garnish, and a warm slice of crusty bread.
Kathryn McKendry is a freelance writer, mother of three, figure skating coach, and health nut–not necessarily in that order! You can find her online at either of her two blogs, Foreign Food Fest and Imagine Today.
Tags: family meals, nutrition, Soups, summer, tomato soup, vegetarian
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