Tomatoes are coming in season! I absolutely adore summer tomatoes. They are juicy, ripe, plump and there are so many varieties that are available: heirloom (my fav), roma, beefsteak, plum, cherry, grape - I could go on and on.
One of our guilty pleasures is freshly made creamy tomato soup with grilled cheese. I like to healthify it by making my grilled cheese on sprouted wheat bread, using olive oil spray instead of butter, and using a secret ingredient instead of cream for the tomato soup.
My lighter tomato soup was inspired by a recipe from CookingLight. I roast the tomatoes and add in garlic to bring out a deep, savory flavor, combine it with some cooked brown rice (my secret ingredient instead of cream!) to make it creamy, and I use an immersion blender to blend the soup right there in the pot.
The result was the perfect creamy tomato soup: even better than the kind you'd get at your favorite diner with a grilled cheese sandwich. I topped it with a dollop of Greek yogurt (instead of creme fraiche) and some chives for a bit of bright color.
The husband loved it!
The Ingredients Adapted from CookingLight- 10oz carton of cherry or grape tomatoes (or 10oz of any tomato you like!)
- 8 garlic cloves
- Cooking spray
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup cooked long-grain brown rice
- 2 cups low sodium vegetable stock
- 1 15oz can unsalted fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
- 3/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp minced fresh chives (optional)
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut your tomatoes in half and arrange on a baking sheet: coat with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste. Bake at 400° for 50 minutes or until tomatoes are lightly charred. Reserve juices.
Step 2: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add roasted tomatoes, garlic, rice, vegetable stock, fire roasted diced tomatoes, salt, and pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Step 3: Using an immersion blender, blend the soup in the pot. Divide into 4 bowls, top with chives if desired.
This was the absolute perfect light spring dinner. And it's super kid friendly too! I served it up with grilled cheese sandwiches (pepperjack cheese slices on sprouted wheat bread) and a spinach salad on the side. It was delish
Ingredients
Directions
Notes
