Not your Average Tomato Soup (vegan)

There's something so great about good old fashioned tomato soup and a grilled cheese on a crisp fall day. Especially at end of summer when the tomatoes are the perfect sweetness, topped off with some fresh made croutons, you cant go wrong.

This soup recipe has no liquid added - I prefer my soups to be a little bit more thick and hearty (and of course you could add dairy/nondairy milk or broth) but roasting the tomatoes really makes them juicy and brings a ton of liquid to the soup so I don't really think you need it. Roasting also makes it sweeter, and with the added carrots and red peppers, there's a unique flavor you don't get with just tomatoes.

I start by roasting all the veggies. Keep it easy and cut those tomatoes in half and put them right on a baking sheet. I cut up the peppers and tomatoes more so that they cook faster. At 375 degrees, roast these for about 30 minutes with just a little salt and pepper. Flip the tomatoes and cook for another 15 minutes or so. Let them cool until you're ready to make the soup. Here's where if you have a high speed blender with a soup setting your 'cook time' will be about 3 minutes. Regardless, add all of your ingredients to the blender and either use your soup setting or blend on high for 2 minutes. I recommend using the nutritional yeast for a few reasons: one, it brings a creaminess that you don't get without it, and two, and more importantly, it adds protein. If you don't have a soup setting on your blender, pour into a saucepan or heat up in the microwave and top with your favorites - croutons, green onions, or dunk your grilled cheese. Either way, it's the easiest soup you might ever make.

Not your Average Tomato Soup (vegan)

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 3-4 large tomatoes, sliced in half

• 1/2 cup sliced carrots

• 1/2 cup chopped red peppers

• 1 teaspoon minced onion

• 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• salt and pepper to taste

• Optional: 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Slice tomatoes in half and place on a greased baking sheet. Also dice up carrots and peppers, and also put on pan. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Place into oven for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, flip tomatoes and stir carrots and peppers. Place back in oven for another 15 minutes. Let cool.

4. When ready to prepare soup, place tomatoes, peppers, carrots and remaining ingredients in a blender.

5. If using high speed blender: use your hot soup setting and serve. If using a regular blender, blend for about 2 minutes and pour into a sauce pan and bring to temperature. If you'd prefer a thinner soup, feel free to add brother or non-dairy milk.

6. Top with homemade croutons: trust me on this one.

xx

Rita