Tomato Basil Soup

This Tomato Basil soup is made healthier than the traditional recipes that call for 2 cups or more of heavy cream. This soup is still creamy due to the added zucchini with just a splash of cream to give it that velvety richness, but if you’re dairy-free leave the cream and butter out. It’s still delicious either way!

Ingredients:

· 2 Tablespoons organic butter
· 1 small onion
· 1-2 small zucchinis (about 2 cups diced)
· (1) 24 oz jar Bionaturae Organic Strained Tomatoes
· (2)18 oz jars Jovial organic diced or crushed tomatoes
· 2 cups chicken broth, more if you want a thinner soup
· 1 piece Kombu (optional, boosts nutrition -adds minerals)
· 1 piece astragalus (optional, boots immune system)
· 12 -14 fresh basil leaves, washed
· ½ cup organic heavy cream
· 2-3 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste if you used different tomato brands. (The brands used above have no added salt.)
· 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

Directions:

Dice onion and zucchinis.

Heat a large soup pan over medium heat. Melt butter and add onion and zucchinis.

Sauté for 5-7 minutes until onions are translucent and zucchini is soft.

Add strained tomatoes, diced/crushed tomatoes, broth and kombu and astargalus if using. Bring back to a boil then down to medium-low heat to simmer for 20 minutes.

Turn down heat to low. Add basil leaves and puree with an immersion blender (hand-held blender) directly in the soup pan or in small batches in a blender, to desired consistency. Return to soup pan if using blender and add cream while stirring.

Serve and enjoy!

Quick Notes:

I don’t peel my zucchini. It’s easier and there is a lot of nutrition in the skin.

This soup freezes great!

I use these brands of tomato products that are in glass jars to stay away from the cans that often have BPA lined cans. Even the cans that claim to be BPA free still have a chemical taste to me, so I was thrilled when I found these organic glass jar brands. They do not have any added salt, so that is why so much is added to the recipe, but add as much or as little as you like.