Vegan Tomato Soup

Vegan Tomato Soup

I can already imagine what my meat loving friends are thinking. “Why bother?” Seriously this is awesome soup that even a die hard carnivore can love. On Christmas Eve I was given the task of preparing the vegan portion of the meal. The mains for the 2 vegans was not an issue. I cook meatless quite often. It was the fact that the soup course was also to be vegan for the 20 plus guests expected for dinner. Not just dinner- Christmas Eve dinner. The pressure was on. The hostess, Amy McWilliam, was thinking of a creamy tomato soup- made with either coconut or soy milk. I decided to do a rich vegetable base and then puree it with canned tomatoes. As I progressed I added spices to create a soup with layers of flavor to it. That really is the secret- and not just in vegan cooking. I didn’t use any “milk” in the end. It didn’t need it.  I ended up with a soup that was very well received- even by Amy’s father-in law who had also just enjoyed prime rib.  I decided to make it today- mostly because I wanted to make it again before I forgot what I did. Here is the recipe. I hope you give it a try. You might be surprised at just how much you like it. The side benefit is this is a great way to get a few more veggies in your diet.

 Vegan Tomato Soup

1/4 c. olive oil

2 onions, chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, chopped

4 c. mixed vegetables, chopped- I used carrots, celery and cabbage, but use what you have and like

2 c. peeled, chopped sweet potato, about1 large- you can use white potatoes if you prefer

4 c. water

1 bay leaf

1T. sweet paprika

1T. Italian Seasoning

1 t. smoked paprika

1 t. cumin

1/4 -1/2 cayenne pepper

salt to taste

1 qt. canned tomatoes

fresh basil for garnish, optional

In soup pot saute onions in oil until just getting a little color on them. Add garlic and cook a couple of minutes longer. Add remaining vegetables, water and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, until the vegetables are very tender- about  20-30  minutes. Add seasonings and adjust to your taste. remove the bay leaf. Add the tomatoes and puree the soup in batches in a blender or use an immersion blender. Once soup is smooth adjust seasonings, if needed. Warm soup before ladling into bowl. Garnish with basil, if desired. Makes about 4 quarts. Freezes well.

Note: When blending a hot soup in a blender remove the plastic insert in the middle of the lid and cover the lid with a towel. Hot liquids will splash up when the blender is turned on. The reason I don’t add the tomatoes until the soup is cooked is to cool the soup down a little to make blending easier.

Simmering the soup

Home canned tomatoes

Blending the soup