Vegetarian – The Salty Nerve

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

carinakyriacos — Tue, 23 Aug 2022 01:02:03 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Nothing is better than that first spoonful of a homemade rich and Creamy Tomato Basil Soup. It’s the kind of soup that takes you back to those cool crisp fall days. The smooth texture of the roasted tomatoes and the distinct savory sweetness from the basil all cozied up in the rich creamy Creme Fraiche to create that perfect soup you’ve been craving. Pair it with some crispy grilled cheese on the side, and you have that perfect dish to get all those Fall feels.

Here’s what you’re going to need for this Creamy Tomato Basil Soup.

• 28oz Can Crushed or Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes (2) • Yellow Onion • Butter • Garlic • Tomato Paste • Fresh Basil • Crushed Red Pepper Flakes • Grated Romano Cheese • Creme Fraiche

Substitutions: Can’t find any Creme Fraiche (French style cream)? Don’t worry, you can substitute sour cream in place of the French creme. Same goes with the Romano which can easily be subbed out with grated Parmesan cheese.

In a soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat, add in 6 tbsp of butter and allow the butter to melt. Once it begins to bubble toss in the onions. Saute for about 6 minutes until they are golden brown.

Add in 5-6 crushed whole cloves of garlic, 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes, about 1/4 tsp each of salt + pepper, and 1 tbsp tomato paste. I just use the flat part of a knife and crush the clove of garlic to release the flavor before add it whole to a dish.

Scrape the paste along the bottom of the pan for about 2-3 minutes with a wooden spoon or wooden spatula until fragrant and has turned to a deep brick red color while allowing it to release its tomato magic.

Salty Tip: When you cook with tomato paste, you want to add it before any liquid ingredients. You want it to release its flavors as you cook it so the flavors can meld with the other ingredients in your dish. It will turn from that bright red to a deep brick red color.

Next, stir in (2) 28oz cans of either diced or crushed (even whole if you have them) of Fire-Roasted Tomatoes along with the juices in the can. Stir in 2 tbsp of grated Pecorino Romano cheese or Parmesan cheese if you prefer, 3 large fresh basil leaves, and bring to a boil.

Once it begins to boil, turn the heat down to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 25-30 minutes to break down the tomatoes and allow the mixture to thicken.

Salty Tip: If the tomato mix is too acidic for your liking, you can neutralize it some with 1/2 tsp baking soda which helps to raise the pH level of the tomatoes. Just wait until after you add the baking soda to salt the soup as it will add some saltiness to the mix and you don’t want to over-salt it.

Once it’s simmered and has thickened some, allow it to cool for a couple of minutes. Using a blender or immersion blender puree the soup. Depending on what you use to blend the tomato soup mixture along with how large of a quantity you can blend at a time will vary on how long this process will take.

I love using my Vitamix blender for their large sized pitcher as well as the soup setting that perfectly purees soup in about 4 minutes. I know they are pricey (it took me years and multiple other blender brands that just couldn’t do the job as good as we wanted to convince my husband to upgrade to a Vitamix blender), but if you can get one DO IT! You won’t regret it I promise!

Once your soup is well blended and smooth, transfer it to a large serving bowl and drizzle 1/2 cup of creme fraiche (or sour cream if you prefer) over the top, and swirl it around to mix it in with the soup.

If you don’t want to dirty up a large dish and want to transfer it directly from the blender to the bowls that is fine. I get it, nobody wants to do extra dishes if they really don’t need to. You can just add 2 tbsp of the creme fraiche or sour cream to each bowl.

I like to top each bowl off with a little extra basil to garnish cause it just completes the look and smells so good as you eat the soup.

Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight food container and reheat in the microwave until warm throughout or heat on stove over low heat until warm throughout.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

The smooth texture of the roasted tomatoes and the distinct savory sweetness from the basil all cozied up in the rich creamy Creme Fraiche to create that perfect soup you've been craving. Pair it with some crispy grilled cheese on the side, and you have that perfect dish to get all those Fall feels.

Course Soup

Keyword basil, creme fraiche, fire-roasted tomatoes, leftovers, make ahead meal, romano cheese, soup

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 40

Servings

Equipment

Soup Pot or Dutch Oven
Blender or Immersion Blender

Ingredients

6 tbsp butter
1 medium yellow onion chopped
5 or 6 whole cloves of garlic crushed
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp tomato paste
¼ tsp salt + pepper each, reduce if using baking soda to reduce acidity of tomatoes (see notes)
2 28oz cans Fire Roasted Diced or Crushed Tomatoes along with the juices
2 tbsp Pecorino Romano Grated; Can sub with grated Parmesan
3 Large Fresh Basil Leaves
1/2 cup creme fraiche or sub with sour cream

Instructions

In a soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat, add in the butter and allow the butter to melt. Once it begins to bubble toss in the onions. Saute for about 6 minutes until they are golden brown.
Add in the crushed whole cloves of garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, 1/4 tsp each of salt + pepper, and tomato paste. Scrape the paste along the bottom of the pan for about 2-3 minutes with a wooden spoon or wooden spatula until fragrant and tomato paste has turned to a deep brick red color.
Next, stir both cans of either diced or crushed (even whole if you have them) of Fire-Roasted Tomatoes along with the juices in the can. Stir in the grated Pecorino Romano cheese or Parmesan cheese if you prefer, fresh basil leaves, and bring to a boil.
Once it begins to boil, turn the heat down to low and simmer, occasionally stirring, for about 25-30 minutes to break down the tomatoes and allow the mixture to thicken.
Once it's simmered and has thickened some, allow it to cool for a couple of minutes. Using a blender or immersion blender puree the soup. Depending on what you use to blend the tomato soup mixture along with how large of a quantity you can blend at a time will vary on how long this process will take.
Once your soup is well blended and smooth, transfer it to a large serving bowl and drizzle 1/2 cup of creme fraiche (or sour cream if you prefer) over the top, and swirl it around to mix it in with the soup. Serve warm with some crispy bread or a grilled cheese sandwich.

Notes

Salty Tip:

When you cook with tomato paste, you want to add it before any liquid ingredients. You want it to release its flavors as you cook it so the flavors can meld with the other ingredients in your dish. It will turn from that bright red to a deep brick red color.
If the tomato mix is too acidic for your liking, you can neutralize it some with 1/2 tsp baking soda which helps to raise the pH level of the tomatoes. Just wait until after you add the baking soda to salt the soup as it will add some saltiness to the mix and you don't want to over-salt it.

Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight food container and reheat in the microwave until warm throughout or heat on stove over low heat until warm throughout.

Briam (Greek Roasted Vegetables)

carinakyriacos — Sun, 17 Jul 2022 15:12:26 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Looking for that perfect summer dish that is loaded with fresh seasonal veggies? This easy to make Briam dish is perfect for those nice summer night dinners on the patio. BONUS: You get to use all those extra veggies that you have growing in your garden. Drizzle on some greek olive oil with oregano, rosemary, and parsley and you have an amazing low carb dinner. Skip the feta and it’s Vegan friendly!

Here’s what you’ll need.

Zucchini [2] · Yellow Squash [2] · Gold Potatoes [3] · Fire-Roasted Diced Totamoes [28oz can] · 4 Cloves of Garlic [minced] · Medium Red Onion · Dried Oregano · Dried Rosemary · Fresh Chopped Parsley · Olive Oil · Salt + Pepper · Feta Cheese [not pictured]

Fire-roasted tomatoes are a MUST! They bring so much flavor to this dish.

Can’t find any fire-roasted tomatoes? Don’t worry! You can make your own!

Just take around 2 lbs of halved tomatoes and place them on a baking sheet and broil in the oven for 3-5 minutes or until the skins are wrinkled and charred, but not burnt. Dice them up and you’re good to go.

If using a can, make sure to reserve 1/4 cup and drain the rest of the juices to prevent excess liquid during cooking.

Arrange the vegetables in a casserole dish over half of the drained fire-roasted tomatoes. Top with the remaining tomatoes and cover.

Fill the casserole dish with half the drained fire-roasted tomatoes spread around. You can arrange the sliced veggies vertically in rows [pictured on left] or horizontally laying flat in a 9x13 casserole dish and top with remaining tomatoes and 1/4 cup reserved juice. I used a dish that has a lid, but you can use aluminum foil to cover the top to prevent burning the vegetables during cooking. Make sure to tent the foil a bit to avoid touching the veggies.

Got picky eaters? I promise this dish will please them. My kids loved it, and they are the pickiest of eaters when it comes to their veggies. The veggies are so tender and flavorful from the savory fire-roasted tomatoes that they won’t fight you on it.

Want to add in some protein? Grab some chicken thighs and season with olive oil, oregano, rosemary, and garlic, and roast them in the oven while cooking for the last 30 minutes. It’s the perfect pair for this dish.

Have some leftovers? Store it in an air-tight food container and store it in the fridge. Reheat in the oven at medium heat until warm throughout. This dish is great for making the night before and reheating the next day when you want it fresh out of the oven. Just add in the feta the day you reheat it rather than when cooking it ahead of time.

Briam (Greek Roasted Vegetables)

Looking for that perfect summer dish that is loaded with fresh seasonal veggies? This easy to make Briam dish is perfect for those nice summer night dinners on the patio. Drizzle on some greek olive oil with oregano, rosemary, and parsley and you have an amazing low carb dinner. Skip the feta and it's Vegan friendly!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword feta, fire-roasted tomatoes, olive oil, oregano, potatoes, roasted vegetables, rosemary, vegetarian, yellow squash, zucchini

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 20

Servings people

Equipment

Cassserole Dish or Dutch Oven With a lid or tent with aluminum foil

Ingredients

2 zucchini cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 yellow squash cut into 1/4 inch slices
3 gold potatoes cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 medium red onion cut into 1/4 inch slices
28 oz can of Fire-Roasted Dices Tomatoes you can also use crushed, drained + reserve 1/4 juice for later
4 cloves garlic minced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil greek is preferred
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried rosemary
½ cup fresh parsley chopped
¼ tsp Salt + Pepper
2 tbsp greek feta cheese crumbled (optional)

Instructions

Cut Zucchini, Squash, Red Onion and Potatoes into 1/4 inch slices and place in a large bowl to season.
Add 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried rosemary, 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, 1/4 tsp each of salt + pepper, and 4 cloves of garlic minced. Mix to evenly coat each vegetable slice. Make sure to pull apart any that may have stuck together.
In a casserole dish or dutch oven, coat the bottom with half of the drained fire-roasted tomatoes. Arrange the vegetables in a casserole dish and top with the remaining tomatoes and cover. You can use aluminum foil to tent over the vegetables.
Cook for 45 minutes. Remove cover and top with 2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese. Cook uncovered for another 30-35 minutes. You can omit this step if you want to make it Vegan friendly.

Vegetarian – The Salty Nerve

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Briam (Greek Roasted Vegetables)

Cut Zucchini, Squash, Red Onion and Potatoes into 1/4 inch slices.

Season the vegetables in a large bowl.

Arrange the vegetables in a casserole dish over half of the drained fire-roasted tomatoes. Top with the remaining tomatoes and cover.

Cook for 45 minutes. Remove cover and top with 2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese. Cook uncovered for another 30-35 minutes.

Briam (Greek Roasted Vegetables)

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions