Classic Tomato Soup

After a camping trip where my diet consisted of hot dogs, mac and cheese, and chips for the entire long weekend I was feeling a little run down. I must have been deficient in Vitamins A, E, and C because I was craving tomato soup like crazy - and what better time to make tomato soup from scratch than tomato season!

The last time I made tomato soup, I used a recipe that I found on Pinterest that involved roasting the tomatoes for a long period of time to bring out their natural sugars prior to making the soup. It was delicious, but I didn't want to turn on my oven in the summer heat, nor did I want to spend more time than necessary before indulging in tomato-y goodness - so I made up this recipe instead. I may be biased, but I think it's just as good if not better than the other recipe (and much easier)! Simply adding some honey rather than waiting for the tomatoes to roast in the oven makes this soup just as sweet, while keeping all of the tart acidity of tomato soup that we know and love.

As I mentioned above, tomatoes are packed with vitamins, but that's not the only healthy thing about this soup. It's also loaded with garlic, onions, fresh herbs, and spices, making it not only delicious but also incredible for the immune system. I even used chicken bone broth as the base to get that extra bit of nutrition in there, but you can always use the vegetable broth of your choice to make this recipe vegetarian. All in all, the only "unhealthy" thing about this soup is the grilled cheese that you will obviously serve with it if you aren't a complete psychopath.

One thing to note is that you will require an immersion blender for this recipe in order to get the soup a bit smoother. That being said, I purposely left some chunks of whole tomatoes in mine because I prefer a more rustic soup. If you don't have an immersion blender and are alright with a bit more texture, you can use a potato masher to smash down the tomatoes during step 4. This will result in a more rustic, textured tomato soup.

Now let's get this party started!

Serves: 4-6

Prep time: approx 15 mins

Cook time: approx 45 mins

What you need:

• an immersion blender

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• ½ yellow onion, finely chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

• 4 lbs ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped (I used a combination of on the vine, cocktail & roma)

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1 tsp chili flakes

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp pepper

• 1 bunch basil, chopped

• 1 bunch thyme, stems removed

• 1 tbsp honey

• 4 cups chicken broth, or vegetable broth of choice to make vegetarian (I used chicken bone broth)

• half & half or cream to taste (I recommend approx 1/2 cup)

What you do:

1. In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and fry the onion for 5-7 mins. Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant, less than 1 min.

2. Add the balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, chili flakes, fresh herbs, honey, and 1 cup of broth. Stir everything together, cover, and bring to a boil before reducing heat to a simmer.

3. After about 20 mins remove lid and turn up the heat to medium-high. Cook for 10-15 more mins, stirring regularly, until slightly thickened.

4. Allow to cool slightly before using the immersion blender to blend everything together. For a more rustic soup, allow some chunks of tomato to remain.

5. Return the pot to the stove over medium heat and add the remaining broth. Stir, adding more salt & pepper to taste, and let simmer until ready to serve.

6. When ready to serve, allow the soup to cool slightly before adding any cream or half & half so it does not curdle. Or, simply drizzle the cream over the soup once it’s in the bowl. Enjoy!