Garden Fresh Creamy Tomato Soup

Homemade Tomato Soup made with garden fresh or canned tomatoes, in under 30 minutes. Creamy, easy to make and delicious! 

 Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil or butter (butter elevates!)
• 1 large red or yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup carrots, thinly- sliced 
• 1/2 cup celery, diced 
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped  
• 1 red bell pepper (optional)
• 2 lbs fresh tomatoes (alternatively, one, 28-ounce can of San Marzano Tomatoes)
• 1 cup water plus 1 Knorr Chicken bouillon cube or One cup Organic Chicken Stock. If you use broth or stock you may need to add more salt.
• 2 tablespoons sugar, honey,  or maple syrup  
• 1 teaspoon Pink Himalayan Sea salt or table salt (Sea Salt is smoother)
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper (multi-color pepper corns lift the flavor)
• 10–15 fresh basil leaves
• pinch cayenne 
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Optional Add-ins and Garnish

• Add in chunks of tomato to add texture and heartiness. 
• Garnish with chiffonade cut Basil ribbons.
• Garnish with Cherry or Grape tomato halves. 
• Garnish with croutons.
• Garnish with Sour Cream 

Instructions

1. Heat butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Saute onions and celery until softened, about 3-4 minutes. 
2. Lower heat to medium, add carrots and saute 3-4 minutes more until onions are golden and fragrant.
3. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. 
4. Add the tomatoes, water & chicken bouillon, choice of sweetener, salt and pepper.Stir, increase heat and bring to a simmer, cover, then lower heat to low, so it’s gently simmering.  Simmer 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down and carrots are tender. Remove from heat.
5. Add the basil leaves
6. Use an immersion blender, to blend the soup.  Or use a blender, then return to the pot.
7. Stir in the cream.
8. Add a little pinch of cayenne.
9. Taste and adjust salt and sweetener, 
10. Serve in bowls with basil ribbons, croutons, sour cream, or fresh little tomatoes (halved).

STORE: 

• Soup will store up to 4 days in the fridge.

• If you want to freeze, do not add the cream until reheating, to avoid graininess. Soup will freeze for winter in wide-mouth canning jars with 1-inch headroom (for expansion).