I've heard of this mythical thing called an immersion blender before, but I've never owned or used one. After making the soup this week, it's on my list of things to get.
I thought the cheese quesadilla was a fun touch, too. It's like a variation on tomato soup and grilled cheese. Tex-Mex and tomato soup go well together!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 28 oz canned tomatoes (no added sugar) or 6 fresh tomatoes, diced
- 2 cups bone broth* (can sub chicken broth or vegetable broth)
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup fresh basil or 3 Tablespoons dried
- Heat coconut oil over medium heat in large pan.
- Add onions, garlic, and carrots to pan. Stir together and saute until onions are softened.
- Add tomatoes, stir, and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, stir, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Using immersion blender or regular large blender, blend soup for 5-10 seconds. You may need to do this in batches.
- Let cool, ladle into bowl, and enjoy! Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.
To make the quesadilla, melt butter in pan over medium heat, heat 1 small corn or whole wheat tortilla for 1-2 minutes, add a handful of shredded cheese of your choice, top with another small tortilla (to make a sandwich), flip quesadilla over, and heat for 1-2 minutes.
* Bone broth is literally broth that is made from bones. This is most commonly done with beef and chicken. I make mine by cooking a whole chicken in a crock pot, removing whatever meat I want to eat, and then returning the rest of the chicken (carcass, pieces of chicken I won't eat) to the crock pot. I add water, vegetable scraps, and 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and then cook on low for about 12-24 hours (my apartment smells amazing). When it's ready, I strain the broth and keep it for soups or other recipes. Believe me when I say that this is the best broth you will ever try. It is wholesome and full-flavored and contains the good fats and minerals that leach from the contents of the meat and bones. If you just want to have bone broth without going through the labor (although I promise it's easy), you can probably buy it at the grocery store. We have the Pacific brand, plus others at our Jewel. Here's more info on bone broth and how you can make it without a crock pot.