There is nothing better on a cold winter’s day than a good bowl of soup! Unfortunately, many canned soups are very high in sodium and “homemade” soups often take time to cook and develop flavor. This soup, however, is both easy and delicious! While you may not typically think of tomato soup as hearty, this one has a secret ingredient – canned beans! The addition of beans bumps up the protein and fiber content of the soup as well as lessens the acidity of the tomatoes, similar to a creamy tomato soup.
It’s a total misconception that vegetables can only be healthy if they are fresh and live in your crisper fridge drawer. Just take canned tomatoes as an example. Canned tomatoes are high in the plant compound lycopene. Acting as a potent antioxidant, lycopene can help destroy the free radicals in our bodies, which can damage DNA, initiate cancers and worsen brain functioning. And when it comes to the lycopene found in tomatoes, it’s worth noting that the processing that goes into producing canned tomatoes can increase its bioavailability. In other words, it makes the compound more accessible so we can better reap its health rewards. Vitamin C is another nutritional benefit of canned tomatoes. Did you know that vitamin C enhances the absorption of iron from plant-based foods, like beans? Perhaps most importantly, canned tomatoes are full of delicious flavor all year round. This blender tomato soup takes advantage of items likely in your pantry – canned tomatoes and canned beans. Tomato paste deepens the flavor and fresh basil provides a sweet, slightly spicy note to the soup. Simply place all the ingredients in the blender, whirl it around for a few seconds, and then you’ve got a delicious, high protein and fiber tomato soup ready to be heated and enjoyed!
Secret Ingredient Tomato Soup
Ingredients:
2 (14.5 oz.) cans fire roasted tomatoes, or 1 (28 oz.) can
1/2 medium white or yellow onion
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 can white beans (such as Great Northern), drained
1 cup vegetable broth
Handful fresh basil leaves
Instructions:
1. Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend for a few seconds until combined (can blend longer for a smoother consistency).
2. Pour into a saucepan and heat on medium until warmed through.
3. Serve and enjoy!
Forge is delighted to partner with Laura Rutledge, MA, RDN, CSO, a Registered Dietician Nutritionist who focuses on oncology nutrition for during and after cancer diagnosis and treatment. For more information and recipes from Laura check out Nourishing Plate. You can find additional blogs from Laura on Forge’s blog!