Creamy Tomato Soup
User Reviews
4.9
Creamy Tomato Soup
Description
Creamy Tomato Soup starts with roasting unpeeled garlic cloves, fresh tomatoes, and quartered onion wedges until browned to deepen their flavors. These roasted ingredients are blended with canned diced tomatoes, cooked chickpeas, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and fresh thyme to create a complex, slightly sweet and tangy base enhanced by red pepper flakes and herbs. The olive oil enriches the flavor and texture once blended until smooth.
The roasting step adds a caramelized depth, balancing the natural acidity of the tomatoes. The chickpeas offer subtle sweetness and body without overpowering the soup. The final consistency is creamy and thick, suitable for serving warm.
Optional croutons made from 7-grain bread sprinkled with vegan mozzarella provide a crunchy, cheesy texture contrast when added on top. This soup works well as a comforting starter or light meal.
If substituting fresh tomatoes with canned, simmer the blended soup for about 20 minutes to concentrate flavors. Reheat gently and season to taste before serving.
Ingredients
- 3 garlic unpeeled, cloves
- 4 tomato medium, fresh
- 1 yellow onion sliced into quarters, small
- 1 (14-oz) diced tomatoes canned
- 1/3 cup chickpeas cooked
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons thyme fresh leaves
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- sea salt heaping 1/2 teaspoon
- black pepper freshly ground
for the croutons: (optional)
- 8 lices 7-grain bread SimplyNature brand
- vegan mozzarella heaping ½ cup, Earth Grown brand
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Wrap the garlic cloves in a piece of foil and place it on the baking sheet along with the whole tomatoes and the onion wedges. Drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tomatoes and onions are well browned. Peel the garlic and transfer the roasted vegetables to a blender.
- Reduce the oven heat to 400° F and line the baking sheet with a fresh sheet of parchment paper.
- To the blender, add the canned tomatoes, garbanzo beans, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, thyme leaves, 1 tablespoon olive oil, red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon sea salt, and freshly ground pepper and blend until creamy (a Vitamix is ideal here. If using a regular blender, just blend longer!). Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. At this stage, the soup should still be hot. If not, pour it into a pot to reheat it.
- Make the croutons: Sprinkle 4 slices of the bread with a thin layer of cheese. Top with the remaining bread slices to make sandwiches and drizzle the outsides of the bread with olive oil. Bake until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown, about 8 minutes. Let cool completely before slicing into croutons so that the cheese doesn’t ooze out when you cut it.
- Serve the soup with the croutons (some in the soup, some on the side) and additional fresh thyme, red pepper flakes, and chickpeas, if desired.
Notes
- If using canned tomatoes instead of fresh, simmer the blended soup covered on low heat for about 20 minutes to deepen flavor.
- Roasting the garlic, tomatoes, and onions intensifies their sweetness and adds complexity.
- Optional croutons with vegan mozzarella add texture and make the soup heartier.
- Adjust seasonings after blending to balance acidity and sweetness to your preference.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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