Soup has been my saving grace lately. This soup in particular.
Though usually immune, I picked up whatever virus was going around. And it was a doozy that lasted two weeks. On top of that, an impacted lower wisdom tooth decided to get feisty. So just as I was coming out of the cold, I had to have the tooth extracted.
I had an upper wisdom tooth pulled a few years ago and it was a breeze. The oral surgeon warned that lower extractions are very different. He was very right. I now understand why people cringe when they hear about the procedure.
Needless to say, January has been all sorts of wonderful around here. :) On the bright side, it helped me to discover this soup. And it really is wonderful.
I didn’t like tomatoes — in hardly any form — until two or so years ago. I didn’t like ketchup, wouldn’t touch chunky salsa and would even carefully lift up the toppings on a slice of pizza to scrape off the red sauce. So it was surprising that while recovering, nothing sounded more comforting than a big bowl of tomato soup. I literally couldn’t get it out of my mind.
No one wants to cook when they’re not feeling well, but this version comes together in mere minutes (and less than a minute if you like it cool!). It’s your classic tomato soup. Smooth and creamy. Flavorful and soothing. It did the trick. It was the best medicine (after post-op kitten snuggles, of course — those really were the best medicine).
- 1 28-ounce can peeled, whole tomatoes (including liquid)
- 1 cup vegetable broth (water will do, in a pinch)
- 3 large garlic cloves
- ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
- 1½ lemon juice
- ¼ cup fresh basil chiffonade, or more, to taste
- Splash of soy milk (or cashew cream)
- Salt and pepper
- Place tomatoes, broth, garlic, nutritional yeast and lemon juice in a blender and blend until smooth.
- If you’d like the soup to be warm, transfer to a medium-sized pot over low- to medium-heat, and warm to desired temperature. Alternatively, if you are using a high speed blender, simply let it run in the blender for a couple of minutes until desired temperature is reached.
- Serve garnished with basil and a splash of soy milk or a dollop of cashew cream. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
What are some of your go-to, comforting foods for when you’re not feeling well?
I grew up eating lots of tomato soup and yours looks faaantastic and sounds so comforting! I love the white swirls in it (:
Thanks, Jaymee. Let me know what you think if you try it!
I’m excited for lunch because I’m having another bowl of this soup…I forgot to pack a little soy milk though, so no white swirls for me today ;)
This recipe looks pretty similar to one of my personal favorites roasted tomato soup that I have on my site. Roasting the ingredients gives it a different flavor and it lets you use fresh tomatoes instead of tomatoes from a can.
You’ll definitely need a serious blender for either of the recipes to get a smooth consistency and I personally use a Vitamix 5200. If you use my Vitamix coupon code you can even get $25 off shipping.
Hope you’re feeling better!
So many takes on a classic! Thanks for sharing yours. Roasting definitely brings out a different and wonderful flavor profile. When playing around with this soup, I originally used fresh tomatoes and roasted garlic, but you just can’t beat a fuss-free, three-minute meal that is both comforting and flavorful when you’re in a cold-induced fog! :)
I’m a hardcore Vitamix fan, and use mine all the time! This recipe works well with a standard blender, too, although it takes a little more time to get the desired consistency.
I’m feeling much better now, thanks!
Sorry about your cold and wisdom tooth, I know first hand how painful that is! Hope you are on the mend. One of my favorite things when I don’t feel good is this garlic and greens soup (http://www.compassionatecook.com/media/videos/garlic-and-greens-soup). I tried your soup for lunch today and loved it (and how easy it was to make!).
I’ve heard a *lot* of good things about that garlic and greens soup but have yet to try it myself. I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the tomato soup!
This soup does look delicious and I’m sure it’s super comforting during your recovery. I hope you are doing well and that your mouth has fully recovered! :-)
Thanks, Kristy! Not quite 100%, but close :)
I’m sorry that January was so crummy! That’s a lot of unpleasant stuff to pile into one month! This soup sounds wonderful. I used to looooove tomato soup in my non-vegan days. I’d just get the kind in a can, and it was one of my easy go-to meals with a sandwich for many years. Since I don’t eat canned soup anymore, I sort of forgot about it. Thanks for reminding me. Your version looks delicious! (Although, where did the recipe go? Wasn’t it here before?)
Ack! Thanks for the catch — I have no idea why the recipe disappeared, but it’s back now!
Cold and oral surgery aside, January wasn’t too bad. In addition to the soup, there were also a number of grilled cheese sandwiches :) Although I never opened one, growing up that same canned soup always graced our pantry as well.