Tomato soup has never really been my thing, I think it had something to do with the tart and fake taste of Campbells Cream of Tomato Soup that put me off at a young age.


This fall, I set myself the task of creating a tomato soup that I would actually enjoy eating and after a lot of trial and error, I think I have finally created the perfect tomato soup.


Why so perfect you ask? Well for starters, unlike a lot of tomato soups you find in stores or recipes online, there is absolutely no sugar added in this recipe.


Secondly because I am a people pleaser, this is actually a 2 in 1 recipe. I originally set out to create a cream of tomato soup, but loved the flavours of the soup so much before adding in any of the cream, that I decided to create a “choose your own adventure” Tomato soup recipe.


So there are three ways to serve this soup. Firstly you could skip the cream altogether and serve it as is (my personal preference). The second option is to stir in the cream when cooking so that the flavours really blend together and you are left with a rich creamy tomato soup. The third option is to drizzle the cream overtop of each bowl, and then let people stir it in themselves.


Make sure that you choose really ripe tomatoes, not the hard ones that are still white in the middle. The more ripe the tomatoes, the better the flavour. I also recommend letting this soup cook for awhile on the stove, the flavour is only enhanced the longer you let it simmer.

This soup also freezes really well, so double the batch and you can have a freezer full of soup for those cold days when you want something comforting asap.

If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite1) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!

Creamy (or not) Tomato Soup

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Course Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Paleo, Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal, Vegan, Whole30
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic finely diced
  • 2/3 cup diced carrots
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 4 cup roughly chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp fresh basil

Optional Cream

  • 1/3 cup cashews (soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes)
  • 1/4 cup almond milk

Instructions
 

For the Cream

  • Drain the cashews and place them in a high speed blender along with the almond milk. Blend until completely smooth and then set aside. 

For the Soup

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add in the diced carrots, garlic, salt and onion and cook for approximately 5 minutes until the onions have softened. 
  • Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste to the pot, cover with a lid and let cook for 20 minutes until the tomatoes have completely softened and look stewed. 
  • Pour in the balsamic vinegar and stock and let simmer for another 10 minutes. 
  • Using an immersion blender blend the soup until completely smooth or alternatively transfer the liquid to a blender and blend. Once smooth, return to the pot and taste, adjust seasoning as needed. 
  • If making Cream of Tomato Soup, pour the cashew cream into the soup and stir, let the soup simmer for another few minutes to improve the flavour. 
  • To serve sprinkle the soup with shredded basil and black pepper. The cashew cream can alternatively be drizzled over the top of each bowl before serving and then stirred in when eaten. 

Nutritional information listed below courtesy of RecipeIQ an easy to use free app that’s great for finding out the nutritional information of your favourite recipes. Click here to download the app.