TOMATO AND BASIL SOUP RECIPE

TOMATO AND BASIL SOUP RECIPE
I am a fangirl of tomatoes! Botanically, they are fruits from the nightshade family, but with their aromatic, tart and less-sweet taste, they are used as vegetables in almost everything. This tomato-based soup contains plenty of antioxidants, like beta carotene, vitamin C and the antioxidant queen – lycopene – which has been studied for its protective effects on breast, skin and gut health.
Serves 3
Cooking time: 30 minutes

      INGREDIENTS
      2 tbsp olive oil or ghee
      1 brown onion, finely diced 1 medium carrot, finely diced 2 sticks celery, finely diced
      1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves,
      roughly chopped
      1 tbsp tomato paste
      1 kg ripe tomatoes, core removed
      and roughly chopped
      (or 2 × 400 g cans of tomatoes) 2 cups vegetable stock or bone broth 1 tbsp honey
      1⁄2 cup raw cashews
      salt and pepper
      1 handful fresh basil leaves
      extra virgin olive oil, to serve
      Savory Granola (see page 142
      for Savoury Granola recipe), to serve (optional)

      METHOD

      1. Heat the oil or ghee in a heavy-based pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrot and celery and sauté until softened, about 10 minutes, or until vegetables are golden and fragrant.
      2. Add the thyme and tomato paste and stir, cooking for 1–2 minutes before adding the tomatoes, stock, honey, cashews and salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down.
      3. Add the basil leaves, reserving a few to garnish the soup, and blend well using either a benchtop blender or a stick blender.
      4. Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and reserved basil leaves. For extra crunch, top with a scattering of Savory Granola.

      JACQUI’S TIPS
      I usually add a slice of our Life-Changing Loaf (see page 48 of our Nourish Me Guide for recipe) with butter to this dish, it goes really well and adds a little crunch.