Tomato Basil Soup

Anyone out there suffering from a Holiday Hangover? You aren’t sure what that is?

Holiday Hangover: |hol-i-dey hang-oh-ver| : The horrendous feeling you get the day you have to go back to work after more than two consecutive days off due to a holiday.

Oh… yeah, that’s it.

Speaking of the holiday- how was your Thanksgiving? Mine was positively lovely. While I was bummed out that my brother and sister in law couldn’t make it home from Seattle, I was thankful that they will be coming in soon for Christmas. [How adorable is my sister in law by the way- she called to tell me she was using my turkey post – I’m glad that I could be a part of their Thanksgiving!]

Anyway. Let’s talk soup. I don’t know about you, but when I get thrown back into the real world after a holiday, I need soup. I need warm and comfort and certainty. Mondays are always unpredictable, but here is something I can tell you with complete confidence:

Tomato + Basil = Good.

Write that equation down… memorize it. Use it when you are in a bind. This combination will never fail you. And you sure will love this soup.

Tomato Basil Soup

[makes one big pot of soup that lasts me a few days ]

You will need:

1 yellow sweet onion, diced
1 cup shredded carrot
2 cloves minced garlic
1 T olive oil
2 28-ounce cans [no salt added] peeled/ diced roma tomatoes.
If you have the time to roast fresh tomatoes- its totally worth it. You are looking for about 7 cups.
4 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken stock.
fresh basil
cream/milk, optional
salt and pepper to taste

Dice up your onion. Shred your carrots. Mince your garlic.

Heat a large pot over medium heat and add your olive oil. When the oil is hot, add your onion and carrot, sauteing for about five minutes until soft. Add garlic and saute for an additional minute or so. The carrots and onion will add to the sweetness of the soup while helping to cut the acidity of the tomatoes.

Now its time to add the tomatoes. Pour em in! Let everything cook for another few minutes and then add the stock. You can add more or less depending on your soup-thickness-preference. Bring soup to a boil and then lower to simmer. The longer it simmers the better it gets. I try to wait at least an hour- depending on how hungry I am, of course.

Chop up your basil.

And add it to your soup.

At this point: I bring out my Favorite Kitchen Gadget ever – my immersion blender. I so strongly urge you to get one. You can definitely puree your soup by carefully pouring it into a regular blender in batches- I did that all the time before I got my Favorite Kitchen Gadget. The immersion blender will take your soups to the next level, I promise. I noticed great deals for them during my Black Friday shopping- fun colors too!

Blend your soup and add salt/ pepper to taste. You can add a little cream or milk if you want- but honestly this soup is so smooth and hearty that I think its perfect on its own.