How I transformed an abundance of garden tomatoes into a delicious soup!
I plant tomatoes every year. This year I planted four plants. I planted a heritage Beefsteak type, a Roma tomato plant and a couple of types of cherry tomatoes. With those four plants and the hot dry weather, even with us leaving for a month in August, it produced so many tomatoes that we are still eating tomatoes from the garden mid November!!
Now, you have to know something. I have never been a big tomato fan. It wasn’t until I started growing my own tomatoes and eating them straight out of the garden that I came to enjoy having more than just pasta sauce and ketchup! They truly come with a freshness and sweetness that I do not find with the store bought tomatoes.
So as not to waste the tomatoes, I started making tomato soup. Again, something I have never cared for, nor thought I would enjoy. However after looking at various recipes, I came up with this version and I have to say, this is the best tomato soup I have ever had….okay, so it’s really the only tomato soup I’ve ever had! But seriously, I am very picky foodie and this is definitely a soup worth making! It has this balance of unique mix of spices and creaminess that takes the tomato flavour to new heights!
I hope you enjoy this as much as I do! It has been my go to lunch for the last several weeks! I also created a cracker recipe just for this soup- although, of course, the crackers make great snacks, salad toppings or pair them
with smoked salmon and cheeses. Yummy!!
An optional power protein and fiber packed soup check out the meal and pro tips below!!!!!
See my next post for Salt N’Seeds Crackers.
Enjoy! 🤗
Creamy Herb and Spice Tomato Soup
Ingredients
8-10 variety of garden medium large, and some cherry fresh tomatoes, cut in quarters or halves
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 red onion, sliced
1 large red sweet pepper, sliced
1 jalapeño pepper, sliced, seeds removed
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp of ground cumin
1 tsp basil, green or purple
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp of sea salt
1 tbsp of olive oil
1/4-1/2 cup of cashews* (no nuts substitute in Pro Tips)
Preparation:
Preheat oven 400F
On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, add the cut tomatoes, sweet pepper, jalapeño, garlic, onion
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper and toss to mix
Bake for 20 minutes
Remove from oven
This next step has two options- one you can separate the tomatoes and process them through a hand strainer and then place the tomato liquid in a blender along with the remaining roasted ingredients - plus adding the cashews(my preference as I don’t like peels in my soup!) or you can simply pour all the roasted ingredients into a blender along with the cashews and blend till creamy.
Once blended pour contents into a sauce pan, add spices and simmer on low for 5-8 minutes.
Pro/Meal Tips
This soup tastes yummy when first made, but it tastes even better the next day or several hours later when ingredients have had an opportunity to infuse.
Cashews give this soup it’s creaminess- if you prefer less creamy add 1/4 cup; creamier, add 1/2 cup of cashews
If you can’t do cashews or nuts in general, try using one small zucchini cut up and roasted with the other vegetables in place of using cashews. (This also reduces the fat in the recipe).
If you like soup hot and spicy 🌶, roast the whole jalapeño, without cutting it. Once toasted and cooled, remove stem and seeds and follow remaining recipe.
To add additional protein and fiber- add cooked red splits lentils! You can cook these up quickly while roasting the tomatoes! One cup of split lentils, rinsed several times. Place in pot with 2 cups of water. Let boil on medium- high heat for maximum 8-10 minutes for a texture that is not mushy, just tender. Drain and add to soup when adding spices.
Top with fresh parsley and toasted nuts and seeds, and/or your favourite cheese.
Freeze this soup in freezer safe container and top with sliced green onions for extra flavour when to reheat!!
Serve with Salt N’Seeds Crackers
Coming recipe: SaltN’Seeds Crackers
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