Tomato & basil soup
Don’t save soup for winter when you can enjoy this light, but rich flavour when tomatoes are in season.
Servings
4
About this recipe
This recipe never fails to deliver on taste and comfort food factor. For additional fibre, protein and flavour, you can add a can of organic black beans towards the last 5 minutes of cooking time. If you tolerate dairy, add a slosh of cream along with the basil leaves before blending, for a creamier finish and lighter colour.
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
700g tomatoes, quartered
70g tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
500ml vegetable stock
Large handful of fresh basil leaves
Instructions
Step 1
In a large saucepan, gently heat the olive oil and cook the onion and garlic for a few minutes until softened.
Step 2
Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, dried oregano and vegetable stock and cook on a medium heat for 15 minutes.
Step 3
Add the basil leaves and either transfer to a blender, or use a stick blender to process until smooth.
Nutrition
Tomatoes contain the antioxidant lycopene, which is important for healthy cardiovascular function and protects against various cancers, especially prostate cancer. Lycopene is better absorbed from tomato paste than fresh tomatoes and also when consumed in conjunction with some kind of fat, so this recipe ticks all the boxes for obtaining optimal benefit from this potent compound.