Tomato Soup

In the winter I like to make soup, and recently I have been craving tomato soup. In particular, I wanted cream of tomato soup. I though this would be a bit difficult to make dairy-free, but then I came across a Cook's Illustrated recipe for dairy-free tomato soup that claimed to be just as thick and creamy as tomato soup that contains lots of cream. I tried it out, and I think they're right! Naomi likes this soup so much that she says it's one of her favorites. I made the mistake of giving her some of the leftover soup for lunch one day last week, and since then at lunchtime she's been asking for more. Fortunately, the recipe is quite easy and quick to make, so I perhaps I'll make it again soon.

Here is my version of the Cook's Illustrated recipe, modified to make it wheat-free and corn-free. If you don't need to make the soup wheat-free and corn-free, just follow the ingredients listed on the link.

Tomato Soup
serves 2 adults and 2 small children, or 3 adults

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 to 1 tsp. brown sugar (depending on your preference)
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
  
• 1 28-ounce can of Nature's Promise Organic whole or diced tomatoes in tomato juice (found at Stop & Shop and Giants supermarkets) OR 1 26.46-ounce box of Pomi chopped tomatoes and 1/4 cup water
• 1 bay leaf
  
• 2 slices Ener-G tapioca bread, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
  
• 1 cup Imagine Organic chicken broth OR Trader Joe's Organic free-range chicken broth
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• sea salt to taste. I use about 1/2 tsp.

Instructions:

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Chop the onion and add it to the pot. Saute the onion until it has softened. Then add the garlic to the pot and stir for about 1 minute. Add the ground black pepper, brown sugar, and tomato paste, and stir. Then add the chopped tomatoes, bay leaf, and chopped bread. Stir and increase the heat to medium-high to bring the liquid to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and let the liquid simmer for about 5 minutes so that the bread falls apart.

Remove the bay leaf from the pot and add 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. If you have an immersion blender, add the chicken broth to the pot and then use the immersion blender to blend the soup until it is completely smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, pour half of the soup into a standing blender and blend until smooth. Transfer this liquid into a bowl and then pour the rest of the soup from the pot into the blender to blend until smooth. Pour all of the soup back into the pot and add the chicken broth. Stir in the baking soda and salt, to taste.