Hearty Tomato Basil Soup
A Great and Hearty Lunch Idea
As another favorite from Bob Harper's book, we can honestly say that this soup really lives up to its name as "hearty". I normally wouldn't characterize a tomato soup as hearty but this soup is definitely a filling and appetizing lunch option. We have made this soup twice, and each time Tom took this as his lunch for an entire week and surprisingly didn't get sick of it! What makes it a great lunch meal is the fact that it's easy to prepare, especially in large quantities, and it has a pretty easy ingredient list. In addition to its easiness, the soup is actually quite filling because it has beans, carrots, onion, and tomatoes. All the ingredients are healthy and add great texture to what is usually a watery type of soup. This soup is very unlike other tomato soups because it has a nice kick and has lots of texture as mentioned. Now, I did mention that it's easy to prepare, but keep in mind that you do need a food processor for blending. The recipe calls for a blender OR food processor, but we found that is was much easier to use the food processor because it blended the carrots and beans better. Because we did make large quantities both times making the soup. keep in mind that if you do this you'll need to big pot for boiling and simmering. In addition, our food processor is on the small side so we had to add scoop fulls of the soup to the food processor, so that was a bit time consuming. Other than that, this soup makes a perfect lunch meal and lasts a while as well. Tom and I prepared it the weekend before and then just put it into smaller containers each day he took it to work. If you'd like even more texture, you can always add some crackers to the soup. I'm always a fan of Cheez-its- some "food" for thought!
We hope you will try it out, and be sure to let us know what you thought!
**Note** As mentioned, we multiplied this recipe. The serving size below is for one. but my suggestion would be to multiply it by 4 or 5. :)
INGREDIENTS
Olive oil spray
1/4 cup coarsely chopped yellow onion
1 small garlic clove, chopped
1/4 cup coarsely chopped carrot
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup low-sodium diced canned tomatoes
1/2 cup low-sodium canned white beans (cannellini, navy, etc.), drained and rinsed
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (Tom and I just used dry basil)
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat and spray with olive oil.
2. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onion and carrot are tender. (If you are multiplying the recipe it will take closer to 15 minutes.)
3. Add the tomatoes, beans, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat to let cool slightly. Remove the bay leaf and add the basil.
5. Pour into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
6. Reheat int he same pan and enjoy. (If you are preparing it ahead of time, skip this step and pour into individualized containers for the week!)
NUTRITION INFORMATION
197 calories, 11g protein, 36g carbs, 2g fat
As another favorite from Bob Harper's book, we can honestly say that this soup really lives up to its name as "hearty". I normally wouldn't characterize a tomato soup as hearty but this soup is definitely a filling and appetizing lunch option. We have made this soup twice, and each time Tom took this as his lunch for an entire week and surprisingly didn't get sick of it! What makes it a great lunch meal is the fact that it's easy to prepare, especially in large quantities, and it has a pretty easy ingredient list. In addition to its easiness, the soup is actually quite filling because it has beans, carrots, onion, and tomatoes. All the ingredients are healthy and add great texture to what is usually a watery type of soup. This soup is very unlike other tomato soups because it has a nice kick and has lots of texture as mentioned. Now, I did mention that it's easy to prepare, but keep in mind that you do need a food processor for blending. The recipe calls for a blender OR food processor, but we found that is was much easier to use the food processor because it blended the carrots and beans better. Because we did make large quantities both times making the soup. keep in mind that if you do this you'll need to big pot for boiling and simmering. In addition, our food processor is on the small side so we had to add scoop fulls of the soup to the food processor, so that was a bit time consuming. Other than that, this soup makes a perfect lunch meal and lasts a while as well. Tom and I prepared it the weekend before and then just put it into smaller containers each day he took it to work. If you'd like even more texture, you can always add some crackers to the soup. I'm always a fan of Cheez-its- some "food" for thought!We hope you will try it out, and be sure to let us know what you thought!
**Note** As mentioned, we multiplied this recipe. The serving size below is for one. but my suggestion would be to multiply it by 4 or 5. :)
INGREDIENTS
Olive oil spray
1/4 cup coarsely chopped yellow onion
1 small garlic clove, chopped
1/4 cup coarsely chopped carrot
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup low-sodium diced canned tomatoes
1/2 cup low-sodium canned white beans (cannellini, navy, etc.), drained and rinsed
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (Tom and I just used dry basil)
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat and spray with olive oil.
2. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onion and carrot are tender. (If you are multiplying the recipe it will take closer to 15 minutes.)
3. Add the tomatoes, beans, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat to let cool slightly. Remove the bay leaf and add the basil.
5. Pour into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
6. Reheat int he same pan and enjoy. (If you are preparing it ahead of time, skip this step and pour into individualized containers for the week!)
NUTRITION INFORMATION
197 calories, 11g protein, 36g carbs, 2g fat
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