A Soup Recipe That Will Let You Enjoy Those Tomatoes All Winter
We wait all year for the tomato harvest, and then they seem to ripen all at the same time, and go bad so quickly.
This year, unfortunately, I did not have that problem. A deer beat us to it, ate our tomato plants, and I have had a total of five baby tomatoes come from our garden.
Still, for those of you who may have had better luck, here is a great recipe I used for my harvest last year. I made this soup and jarred it to enjoy all winter.
I find that when I cook on my own, I have a hard time justifying adding full-fat, rich ingredients, so I love editing recipes and coming up with equally tasty alternatives. Even without cream, this recipe, which is also vegan and gluten free, was still creamy. The secret is new potatoes and cauliflower. You definitely won’t miss the cream or cheese, and I do not say that lightly—I am a die-hard cheese lover. For the second batch, I added a touch of Pomodoro Wine from Staehly Farm’s in East Haddam, which is nearby where I live. Wine because...wine not? See what I did there?
Enjoy!
Kara Pierson is a designer, artist, yogi, baker, and traveler. You can find out more about her, and her work, at www.karapierson.com, and by following on social media (Instagram/Facebook) @KaraPiersonDesigns.
Dairy Free Tomato Soup Recipe
By Kara Pierson
Ingredients:
2 lbs Roma and grape tomatoes
8-10 garlic cloves
Fresh basil, to taste
1 onion
1 or 2 bell peppers
2 or 3 new potatoes (you can substitute a comparable amount of cauliflower)
2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 small can tomato paste
Chili paste and/or red pepper flakes to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
4 cups vegetable stock
Optional: a splash of red wine or Staehly Farm’s Pomodoro Wine
Directions:
Cut the tomatoes in half and place them on a sheet pan. Smash the peeled garlic cloves and mix with the tomatoes. Put the pan in a preheated 400 degree oven for 25 minutes.
Add chopped fresh basil.
Coarsely chop and onion, the bell peppers, and the new potatoes. Simmer them in a pot with olive oil for about 10 minutes.
Add tomato paste, chili paste and/or red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and four cups of vegetable stock. Bring to a boil.
Add the tomatoes and basil to the pot, the purée with a hand blender, or place into a blender/food processor and blend until smooth.
Add a dash of wine for brightness and a bit of a kick, if desired.
Freeze any that is leftover.