Saturday, August 1, 2015

Vegan Creamy Fire-Roasted Tomato Basil Soup


Vegan Creamy Fire-Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

A grilled cheese and tomato soup is a childhood classic and the ultimate comfort food. We ate it at home when are parents made it for us, we were served it at school, it was a go to when we were sick, or even when we were lazy. But what if we could take that childhood classic and make it the best it could be, with a fiery-edge...oh and vegan! BONUS! This recipe takes the classic soup made rich, creamy, vegan and makes it vegan to boot. This recipe will have you running to go get your grilled cheese ready to go along with it. No better pair, yum! You can make this on a cold night, relaxing weekend, or a date night for two. Makes plenty of leftovers and is loaded with lots of veggies and flavor to fool any picky eater. Overall a perfect soup and waiting combo you can enjoy anytime. Top with more fresh basil, more vegan Parmesan and your all set for a blast from the past. Enjoy!

Vegan Creamy Fire-Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Ingredients


-1/2 cup good olive oil
-1 large chopped organic red onion, chunked
-3 medium organic 
carrots, peeled and chunked
-1 organic fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and medium-chunks
-4 organic garlic cloves, diced
-2 Tablespoons organic tomato paste 
-2 (28-ounce) can organic fire-roasted crushed tomatoes (Muir Glen Organic)
-4 cups vegan chicken or vegetable broth (better than bouillon)
-1 (heaping) cup fresh organic 
basil leaves
-1 (heaping) cup fresh organic parsley leaves 
-1 Tablespoon salt 
-1 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper (if you like more pepper, add 1/2tsp more) 
-1/8 red pepper flakes 
-3 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast (Red Star)
-3 Tablespoons vegan grated Parmesan (Go Veggie Brand)
-2 cups canned coconut milk (full fat, none sweetened) or your favorite vegan milk

Soup Directions

In a food processor, process all your chunked veggies and minced garlic until it is minced or moderately minced. (This soup will be pureed at the end, it doesn't have to be perfect) 

Processed Veggies (Size)
Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, fennel, and garlic and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until tender. 

All the Processed Veggies in Oil
Sauteed Veggies
Add both of the crushed tomatoes to the pot along with the vegan chicken stock, basil, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper.
Tomatoes, Stock, & Basil Added
Bring the soup to a boil and once it hits a boil lower the heat, allow to simmer covered, for 45 to 60 minutes. Stir the soup occassionally until done.

Simmering Soup 
Once the soup has simmered and the veggies have become tender, remove from the heat and either let slightly cool before pureeing in the blender (If you have a blender that can handle hot liquids, puree now). Puree the soup first by itself until it resembles a tomato soup consistency  Then add your coconut milk and Parmesan, blend until combined. Serve out of the blender in bread bowl, top with more basil and vegan Parmesan cheese.  
Pureed Soup with Coconut Milk