When I
was in college, I used to frequent a restaurant called La Madeleine. It is a chain restaurant across a lot of the
Southeastern United States, and it has the most amazing tomato soup! I loved getting their soup with a warm piece
of bread on chilly, windy day. It is my
ultimate comfort food and I have really missed La Madeline’s tomato soup since
I moved to Oregon. So last week, when I
got a text message from my younger sister, Natalie, asking specifically for a
healthy tomato soup recipe, I knew this was a challenge I could get excited
about. I perfected the recipe today, as
a huge windstorm started making its way through Portland. So tonight, on a cold, windy Portland fall
evening, I can curl up next to a fire and enjoy a warm bowl of some amazing grain
free, dairy free tomato soup. And I
must say, it is even better than the tomato soup I enjoyed during my time
studying at LSU.
Tomato Basil Soup Recipe
6
tomatoes on the vine, quartered
1
Tablespoon olive oil
2 to 3
teaspoons salt
2 to 3
teaspoons pepper
1
Tablespoon coconut oil
1 white
onion, finely chopped
4 to 5
cloves garlic, minced (4 cloves if the cloves are large)
32
ounces chicken broth
6 ounces
tomato paste (One small can)
6.75
ounces of coconut milk (I use a can of coconut milk that is 13.5 ounces total,
so just use half the can.)
¼ cup Basil
plus a few extra leaves, chopped
Salt and
pepper
Worcestershire Sauce, just a few dashes
Worcestershire Sauce, just a few dashes
 |
| Tomatoes roasting in the oven |
Pre-heat
the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the
tomatoes into quarters and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Lay the quartered tomatoes on a baking sheet
and bake for 30 minutes.
On
medium heat, add the coconut oil to a large soup pot. Once it has melted, add the chopped onion and
garlic and sauté until translucent. Add
the roasted tomatoes and sauté for about a minute or two. Pour the chicken broth and tomato paste. Cook on medium heat until the soup boils,
then reduce and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes.
 |
| Onion, garlic, and roasted tomatoes in soup pot |
In
batches, add the soup to a food processor and puree until smooth. (If you do not have a food processor, a
blender will work.) Pour the smooth soup
back into the large soup pot. Add the
coconut milk into the soup and stir until well mixed. Then add ¼ cup basil and the salt and pepper
to taste. Finally, toss a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce into the soup and stir. I know that sounds weird, but it enhances the flavor of the roasted tomatoes. Garnish
with chopped basil.
Since I
LOVE a slice of bread with soup, I decided to make a paleo naan (Indian bread) recipe I found on this blog.
I’ve
made this naan a few times and while I think the recipe is really delicious, I
made a few changes. The recipe on the
blog makes my batter a bit too runny, so instead of 1 cup coconut milk, I use ¾
cup coconut milk with ½ cup almond flour and ½ cup tapioca flour.
 |
| Finished product! |
