Meatless Monday: Spicy Tomato Basil Soup

More and more of my tomatoes are ripening each day. And while I have not been able to gather enough at one time to make a large batch of sauce to can, I was able to make an unbelievable tomato soup yesterday.

I followed no recipe, I just used my kitchen instincts and it came out perfect.

I was able to get two full pints of spicy tomato soup from the veggies on had on hand. 

Kristy’s Homemade Spicy Tomato Basil Soup

Ingredients
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 hot pepper, chopped (variety unknown, it was small, yellow, and potent)
2-3 lbs of tomatoes (an assortment of heirloom varieties), roughly chopped
1/4 cup red wine
salt & pepper to taste
1 handful of fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
1-2 teaspoons of fresh oregano
1-2 teaspoons of fresh parsley

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in soup pot and add onion, garlic, and pepper. Sautee until softened (4-6 minutes).
2. Add tomatoes and red wine to soup pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook on medium heat for 30-45 minutes or until about half of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
3. Puree until smooth. I used an emersion blender, but a regular kitchen blender or food processor will work too. If using the latter, let cool for 20 minutes before pouring and blending to avoid burns.
4. Add herbs. Puree again. Add more salt and pepper if needed. 
5. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

All of the vegetables and herbs I used in the soup came from my garden — I could really taste the freshness! I ate the soup for lunch today — it was so yummy, I had to go back for seconds. I enjoyed a toasted and buttered asiago cheese roll with my soup. You could also serve it with salad, pizza, or as a starter to a meal.

For more great vegetarian recipes, download the FREE digital edition of Serving Up the Harvest — download available September 1–30, 2012.

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Meatless Monday posts are my effort to pitch the idea of eating meatless one day or one meal a week — for health, for the well-being of animals, and for the environment. I encourage you to give it a try. I also suggest trying variations of these recipes with the produce you have on hand. Additionally, if you are not yet ready to go a full day meat-free, try using these veggie-packed recipes as the focus of your meal.

Our Meatless Monday Recipe Archives:
Braised Chard Pizza and Farmhouse Salad
Mini Frittatas and Shaved Zucchini Salad
Beet Soup, Roasted Plum Quesadillas, and Peach Kuchen
Garden Vegetable Pasta and Grilled Eggplant-Tomato-Basil-Mozzarella Stacks
Indian Spiced Eggplant and Pad Thai
Corn Risotto and Corn Sauce