If you grew up in the UK, no doubt you will immediately think ‘Heinz’ when someone says tomato soup. You couldn’t be further from the truth. I’ve made and tried different tomato soups. This one really is the most incredible tomato soup. Ever.
Using plenty of fresh herbs and fresh, juicy, ripe tomatoes, you will be rewarded with a luscious, rich and hearty soup. When you have a glut of tomatoes in the summer, it’s the perfect time to make this soup and freeze it.
The health benefits of eating tomatoes
The tomato is technically a fruit, though many of us think of it as a vegetable. It gives us plenty of fibre, along with quite a few vitamins and minerals. Tomatoes also provide us with the principal dietary source of lycopene, an antioxidant which may assist in reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer. Additionally, studies have shown that eating tomatoes may be effective in protecting us against sunburn.
To make the most of lycopene in your food, you need to consume it with a fat source – this will increase the rate of absorption by up to 4 times. In this recipe the olive oil does that job beautifully.
Whats more, when tomatoes are cooked, their lycopene content increases. The downside of this of course is that the vitamin C content decreases. To get your vitamin C from a fresh, uncooked tomato, you can’t beat a caprese salad: more yummy olive oil to ramp up the lycopene, plus you get to pair it with fresh basil. What more could you ask for?
Plus, at only 211 calories per serving, this soup is great for those of us who are trying to eat healthily or keep to a low carb diet. So, not just super tasty, it’s excellent for our waistlines and health too. Find the recipe for how to make the most incredible tomato soup right here below.
If losing weight or keeping your weight down interests you, see the Babs Diet, 3 stone weight loss in 5 months.
For more dietary information about the humble tomato, see healthline’s article.
The Most Incredible Tomato Soup. Ever.
Equipment
- oven tray
- food processor
Ingredients
- 2.5 kg large juicy tomatoes such as roma, beef etc
- 1 punnet cherry tomatoes
- 500ml tomato juice or passata
- 1 red onion cut into wedges
- 1 cup fresh parsley leaves
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 tbsp fresh oregano
- 4 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 tsp chilli flakes or 1/2 fresh chilli
- 150 ml white wine
- 100 ml olive oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 ½ tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp freshly crushed black pepper
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 150
- Place everything except the seasonings into an oven tray.
- Bake for two hours, or until the tomatoes are soft.
- When the tomatoes have cooled, remove as much skin as possible.
- Blend the mixture in a food processor to a consistency you like – I don't like chunky soups so prefer to blend until it is a smooth-ish consistency.
- Add the seasonings.
Notes
