Tomato Soup, Sans Cream (Plus Mini Cheese Quesadillas for Dipping!)

It's still soup weather here in Chicago, and I decided that I MUST make tomato soup. I want my soups to have a lot of texture and color, and I also need them to be dairy-free. For those of you who are still experiencing cold weather and are lactose-challenged, this soup is for you!

This soup is mostly easy to  make. Chop veggies, open cans, dump things into a pot, stir things, and that's pretty much it. However, you have to blend to get the desired creamy-ish consistency. Let me give you a word of warning: your kitchen will get messy if you have a regular blender. 

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. 

To blend the soup, I had to physically remove the soup from the pot, blend it (in two batches) and transfer it to another pot. As much as I tried to prevent my stove and counter tops from becoming covered in red-green liquid, I couldn't prevent it. Rest assured, though, it was an easy cleanup and was worth the effort. If you hate messes but like blending things in its own container (i.e. tomato soup in the pot without removing it first and then moving it to a new pot), I recommend getting an immersion blender!

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!

I was so pleased with the end product. Briefly blending the soup gave it a bit of creaminess, but it still maintained its heartiness. I enjoyed ripping the quesadilla apart and mixing it into the soup. 

This recipe also makes at least four servings. For me, this gave me two dinners and two lunches. I didn't get sick of it. I felt sad and empty when I finished my very last bite. I ate it with a quesadilla three times and mixed in leftover whole wheat mini shells the other time. If you're not planning to eat all of it within a few days, freeze the leftovers and eat in the coming weeks. 

I hope that you make this and enjoy it as much I did!

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Dairy-Free Tomato Soup (adapted from Wellness Mama's Simple Tomato Soup recipe)

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

Instructions

1. Heat coconut oil over medium heat in large pan.
2. Add onions, garlic, and carrots to pan. Stir together and saute until onions are softened. 
3. Add tomatoes, stir, and cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir, and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. 
6. Using immersion blender or regular large blender, blend soup for 5-10 seconds. You may need to do this in batches. 
7. 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.