I have been playing around with tomato soup recipes for a few months now. But it wasn't until I stumbled upon this combination of ingredients that I felt compelled to share a recipe here on the blog. This super (soup-er?) simple Creamy Tomato Soup is made using organic tomatoes and tahini. It has a spicy, warming accent and loads of rich tomato flavor. This recipe is rich in lycopene, which we should all be including in our diets. Grab a soup spoon and warm up with this bowl..

Bread dunking is a must.. (Vegenaise on toast also a must!)

Yup..

You can see this is my fave part of this soup, obviously.. (toast not optional)

Greens optional..

At first I wanted to make this a Campbell's Soup Copycat recipe. But then I tasted it and thought, "This is WAY better than what I remember from Campbell's. So lets skip that title.." No offense to Campbell's. But this DIY tomato soup will easily beat anything you can find in a can or box from the grocery store. Even though you will be using a boxed (or jarred) tomato product, the flavor is a pure 100% homemade, from scratch feel.

This would be pretty yummy paired with a vegan grilled cheese sandwich too..

Organic Strained Tomatoes = main ingredient. ..And this is one of those convenience foods that you WANT to buy. They are SO delicious and pack a big lycopene punch...

Lycopene in strained tomatoes: ½ cup contains about 27,000 micrograms of lycopene. Boom.

This whole recipe (1-2 servings) will give you 135,000 micrograms of lycopene. (Insert the 'praise hands emoji' here.)

Lycopene is heart healthy and may help prevent cancer. And there is this: Dr. Edward Giovannucci, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health says, “We don’t really understand it entirely yet, but lycopene may have specific properties that protect the cell in a way other antioxidants may not.”

PCRM has a great article on how lycopene helps prevent some cancers and some basic lycopene facts.

So long story short, you want to be including lycopene-rich meals in your diet. And really, the best way to do that is tomato soup. You will be "drinking" tons of tomato, instead of adding a bit of sauce to pasta. No pasta needed. It is like you are drinking tomato sauce. ..But it tastes a lot better than that sounds. You guys get it.

More about this recipe..

I used these products:
- tomatoes
- tahini (try Artisana or this product)
- salt
- sugar

The Vitamix. I LOVE my Vitamix this time of year. While I definitely cut back on the amount of smoothies I make, compared to summer. My soup recipes skyrocket.

Blended Soups. This time of year, aka soup season, I adore blending up Ginger Sage Pumpkin Soup, Creamy Baked Potato Soup, Cheezy Loaded Broccoli Potato Soup, No-Cream of Mushroom, Roasted Carrot or Sweet Potato Soup, Curry Coconut Cauliflower Soup and many more. Just check out my soups section in my recipe index.

If you are considering buying a Vitamix before the holiday season really kicks into gear, good for you! I am such a huge fan of Vitamix, I tell just about everyone to take the leap and buy this fantastic appliance. For soups that are more silky and velvety than you can ever imagine, dreamy creamy dips, homemade nut milks, the best smoothies ever and more. The Vitmix I own and recommend is here: The Vitamix 5200 (Super Healthy Lifestyle). All Vitamixes come with a standard 7-year warranty. And you can even get this pretty little blender in a shiny red color. The stainless steel is pretty awesome too. And when you use my link you will get FREE shipping.

Christmas (or Hanukah) can come early this year. Seriously, beat Santa to it guys.
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But enough about that, lets dive into this recipe!... Save this one for a rainy day. Literally. Or any day will do!

Simple Creamy Tomato Soup

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 10/21/2015

This creamy tomato soup has an accent of spiciness from warming garlic and cayenne. Simple tahini adds richness and creaminess.

Ingredients

20oz strained organic tomatoes - (2 ½ cups)
1 tablespoon tahini (mine was thick when adding)
1 clove garlic, raw
a few pinches cayenne (to taste)
½ - ¾ teaspoon salt
¼ cup coconut sugar, organic
¼ - ½ cup water
optional: bay leaf, (if simmering before serving)

Instructions

Add the tomatoes, sugar, garlic, tahini, cayenne and salt to a blender - Vitamix preferred to replicate the fluffiness and velvety texture of my soup.
Start blending from low to high until smooth. Then add in ¼ - ½ cup water to thin out your soup to your desired consistency. I added ¼ cup water.
If you are not simmering on the stovetop and using your Vitamix to heat your soup: cover blender container with blender lid, secure on side. Turn speed from low to high then on HIGH power. Blend for 2-4 minutes or until steam starts wafting from the top of the lid when opened. This warms your soup to 110-118 degrees.
If you are going to simmer on your stovetop: pour the soup into a small soup pot and add the bay leaf. Cover with lid to prevent splattering and simmer on low-medium for ten minutes. Keep on low until ready to serve.

Blended soup is fluffier, while the added step of simmering will make your soup hotter upon serving. Both routes are delicious.
Serve with some toast spread with vegan mayo. Add some greens over top your soup if you'd like.

Yield: 2 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 05 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 05 mins.
Total time: 10 mins.
Tags: soup,tomato,garlic,easy,simple,lunch,dinner,tahini,vitamix,vegan