CREAMY TOMATO BASIL SOUP {NO ADDED SUGAR}
This Creamy Tomato Basil Soup from Half the Sugar, All the Love gets its natural sweetness from grated carrots instead of added sugar. Packaged soups are one of the surprising places you’ll find added sugar hiding. A serving of packaged tomato soup can contain the same amount of added sugar as a glazed chocolate donut, 4 1/2 teaspoons or 17g. Fiber is the difference between the naturally occurring sugar in carrots and the added sugar you might find in a packaged soup. Fiber slows absorption of sugar, making it easier for your body to process, and ti also helps you feel full which may lead you to eat less.
CREAMY TOMATO BASIL SOUP {NO ADDED SUGAR}
Serves 7
Unless made with perfectly ripe tomatoes, tomato soup can often taste acidic. That’s why it’s often tamed with the addition of sugar. Here, the boost of sweetness comes from carrots instead, which also thicken the soup and add a nice, velvety texture. Pair with grilled Cheddar cheese sandwiches cut into sticks for dipping.
Ours = 0 teaspoons
Theirs = 1 teaspoon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped sweet onion (about 1 large onion)
8 ounces carrots (about 3 medium carrots), peeled and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) no-salt-added diced tomatoes, with their juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots. Cover and cook until very soft, about 10 minutes, uncovering the pot to stir occasionally.
2. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes and 3D cups water, along with the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat. Stir in the basil.
4. Working in two batches, carefully transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Return the soup to the pot, reheat if necessary. Ladle into individual bowls and serve. If packing in a lunch box, use a thermos.
Make Ahead
The soup will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Nutrition Information (1 cup):
Calories: 89 | Added sugar: 0 teaspoons or 0g | Carbohydrates: 7g | Sodium: 290 mg | Saturated fat: 5% of calories or 1g | Fiber: 2g | Protein: 1g
Excerpted from Half the Sugar, All the Love by Jennifer Tyler Lee and Anisha Patel, MD, MSPH. Photographs by Erin Scott. Workman Publishing ©2019.
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cups chopped sweet onion (about 1 large onion)
- 8 ounces carrots (about 3 medium carrots), peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) no-salt-added diced tomatoes, with their juice
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots. Cover and cook until very soft, about 10 minutes, uncovering the pot to stir occasionally.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes and 3D cups water, along with the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat. Stir in the basil.
- Working in two batches, carefully transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Return the soup to the pot, reheat if necessary. Ladle into individual bowls and serve. If packing in a lunch box, use a thermos.
