Persistent Vegetarian State

Simple Vegetarian Recipes

The Best Tomato Soup

Make this vegetarian tomato soup recipe when you want to impress people.

This is the best tomato soup you will ever eat. It is rich and flavorful, so have it with a large glass of something thirst-quenching to drink.

Prep time: 30 min; Total time: 30 min

Ingredients

• 1 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-3 ribs celery, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 c. tomato paste
• 2 T flour
• 16 oz. diced tomatoes
• 24 oz. low sodium vegetable stock
• 1/3 c. milk, soy milk, or rice milk
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 T sugar or sucanat
• 2 T apple cider vinegar

This is a complex-looking recipe that is easy when you remember the basic steps:

1. Make a roux
2. Add the aromatics
3. Add the tomatoes
4. Add the broth and the milk
5. Make a gastrique and add that last.

Begin with a roux (oil and flour). Add these two ingredients to an enamel or stainless steel saucepan or stockpot. This is what will thicken the soup, but you will not see how thick it will be until it boils.

Next mix in your aromatics: garlic, celery, onions, and carrots. Stir occasionally until they cook through (about 5 min).

Add the bay leaf and tomato paste. Stir and cook for about 1 min. Add the diced tomatoes and veggie stock. Simmer and stir occasionally for 10 min.

Add the milk of your choice and cook for 3 min. If you want your soup to be creamier, you can blend it in a blender at this point. Be sure to blend it in batches and never fill the blender more than half full.

In a separate saucepan, make a gastrique. To do this, caramelize the sugar or sucanat over low heat. Add the vinegar and stir. Add your gastrique to your soup.

Tips
To serve this as comfort food, serve it alongside grilled cheese sandwiches.

To dress it up with an Italian flair, serve it with fresh basil as garnish and a simple bruschetta. For bruschetta, cut French or Italian bread and toast it in the oven on a low heat. Once toasted, rub the bread with a clove of garlic and serve with extra virgin olive oil for dipping.

To save yourself the trouble of peeling carrots, buy baby carrots.