Homemade soups are one of the wonders of this world!
Confession: my original recipe was tomato soup. However, while dining with my hubby at an Italian restaurant in downtown Khobar, Saudi, I courageously asked the staff why their tomato soup is delish. He said that they add a carrot to the recipe. Hmmm… I am adding the carrot to my tomato soup recipe then, but I prefer to give it justice by including that vegetable in the recipe title – it deserves recognition.
Benefits of fresh tomatoes and carrots
Fresh tomatoes and carrots are some of the most versatile vegetables that you can find. Both of these vegetables have a wide variety of health benefits, making them popular ingredients for all kinds of recipes.
Tomatoes are packed with vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium, Iron, and Fiber. They also contain lycopene, an antioxidant compound that can help protect against certain types of cancer. Carrots are an excellent source of Vitamin A and Vitamin K, as well as Calcium, Potassium, and Folate. They are also rich in fiber and Beta-Carotene, an antioxidant that helps to improve vision and reduce the risk of certain heart diseases.
Including them in your salads is one of the best ways to gain the benefits of their freshness. Tomato and carrot soup is the next best way to make use of fresh tomatoes and carrots.
Ingredients for tomato and carrot soup
This recipe is easy! This post will show you. Fresh tomatoes, a carrot, yellow onion, basil leaves, and olive oil are the basic ingredients you will need to have this tasty, healthy soup that your family and friends will love.
Simple spices: salt, cloves powder, and cumin
Enhancers: tomato juice, cream
How to make fresh tomato and carrot soup
Cooking soup from fresh tomatoes and carrots ( a carrot, actually in this recipe) is easy. Just gather your soup ingredients and spices and get your soup pot, ladle, and immersion blender ready and you will have this soup ready in less than an hour.
Storing leftover tomato carrot soup
Leftover tomato and carrot soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days, and in the freezer for up to a month. Simply transfer onto a cooking pot and simmer (do not boil) and you have this delicious soup and ultimate comfort food ready for you, as usual.
Cooking tips:
- Serving this with nicely roasted buttered bread creates wonders!
- while canned tomatoes and carrots can replace the fresh vegetable counterpart in this recipe, using fresh veggies always result in a better-tasting and healthier version. Plum tomatoes are another choice, but remove the sugar from the recipe lineup.
- replace chicken bullion with vegetable stock; in this case, you may want to add one teaspoon salt.
- add 2 tablespoons of quick-cooking oatmeal after step 6 if you want the soup to be a little thicker. This will add about 5 minutes of simmering time.
- add milk, yogurt, or coconut milk for a creamier rendition
- if using an immersion blender, you can do the blending while the contents are in the pot and while they are hot. If you are using a regular blender, let the content cool down a bit
- use medium heat mostly because this enhances the flavors of the ingredients
- I eliminated black pepper from the array of ingredients and use it at serving time. Freshly ground! Nice!
- season with salt either during cooking or at serving time. The latter makes it a healthier practice.
- top with shredded cheese? Must be an idea for a creamy soup. What about cumin powder? Yes, of course!
- Topping with any fresh herbs of your choice is another twist to this. Italian seasoning is actually not a bad idea at all.
Fresh Tomato and Carrot Soup Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: cooking
- Cuisine: International
Description
Rich, comforting flavors of tomatoes and carrot soup from fresh ingredients.
Ingredients
- 5 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh carrots
- 1 small-sized yellow onion, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbps olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp cloves powder
- 2 cups water + 1 chicken bouillon or
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup cream
Instructions
- Over medium heat, sautee garlic and onion in olive oil and butter for a couple of minutes.
- Add tomatoes and carrots. Stir until completely mixed.
- Add salt, clove powder and sugar and a cup of water (or chicken broth).
- Let simmer until vegetables are soft (about 20 minutes).
- Puree the soup using an immersion or countertop blender.
- Strain using a rough mesh or strainer and discard the lumps.
- Add the rest of the chicken stock (or water and bouillon) and cream, then simmer once again, stirring occasionally, for another 15 minutes.
- Serve with a dash of dried basil leaves.
- Tip: I add 2 tablespoons of quick-cooking oatmeal after step 6 if I want the soup to be a little thicker. This will add about 5 minutes of simmer time to the soup.
