This recipe was passed along to me by a friend and it's a delicious take on tomato soup. It has a hint of sweetness from the balsamic vinegar and although it is pureed, it still has the right amount of texture and isn't overly smooth.
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| tomato soup |
Ingredients
3 cloves minced garlic
1 small onion, chopped
2 T olive oil
1/4 c. dry white wine (optional)
1 15 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes (or plain tomatoes are fine too)
1 12 oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped *
2 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. packed fresh basil, roughly chopped (or a couple large spoonfuls of pesto)
1 T. balsamic vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1/4 c. plain yogurt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cheese bread
slices of whole wheat baguette
olive oil
garlic or onion powder
freshly ground black pepper
cheese of your choice (parmesan, goat cheese, feta) ... I used goat cheese
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 (for the bread).
Saute garlic and onion with olive oil in a large pot over medium heat for a few minutes. Add white wine, if using, and cook for a few more minutes, or until most of the wine has absorbed. Add the tomatoes, red peppers, and chicken broth. Simmer for 15 minutes.
While the soup is simmering, drizzle slices of bread with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic or onion powder, freshly ground black pepper, and cheese. Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes, or until the bread is golden and the edges are crusty.
While the bread bakes, remove the soup from heat and add the basil, balsamic vinegar, and sugar. Stir until combined. Puree the soup with a hand immersion blender, (If you don't have one of these I highly recommend owning one. They are fairly inexpensive and are great for smoothies, dressings, soups, etc. It's easier than getting out the blender.) blender, or food processor. If using a blender or food processor, you might have to puree the soup in a couple batches, depending on the size of your device. You may also want to let the soup cool a little before handling.
After pureeing the soup, return to a low simmer and add the yogurt and black pepper. Stir until combined and serve!
Serves 2-3.
* the jar of roasted red peppers I used also had some artichokes and eggplant in it... the soup is good either way!
