Fresh Tomato Soup

reprinted with permission from the cookbook American Wholefoods Cuisine by Nikki and David Goldbeck, published by NAL Books, ©1983)

• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 - 2 cloves garlic, chopped (chop ~10 minutes prior to sautéing)
• 1 medium carrot, chopped into small pieces
• 1 stalk celery with leaves, chopped into small pieces
• 3 - 4 cups chopped tomatoes (~1-1/2 pounds) - I put all the skins and the seeds in the soup)
• 1 tbsp. whole wheat flour
• 3 cups water
• 1 - 2 tbsp. fresh basil (green or purple is ok)
• 1 teaspoon salt (I use less)
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste if using out of season tomatoes (both regular or dried tomato paste work well)

Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in big soup pot. Add onion, garlic, carrots and celery an sauté for ~5 minutes until onion is transparent. Add tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes, mashing occaisionally with a wooden spoon until soft and pulpy. Sprinkle flour over tomatoes and stir smooth.

Add water and seasonings, bring to a boil, and then turn heat down to simmer uncovered for 20 minutes if soup is to be pureed or 30 minutes if not. (this cooking time is important for both flavor development and also to increase the amount of the cancer-protective phytonutrient called lycopene that is released from the tomatoes.) To puree or not is a personal choice. I puree about half of the soup in my blender to thicken it up a bit. Reheat (do not boil again) before serving, adding the last tablespoon of olive oil right before serving.

There are endless variations you can do on this basic soup recipe. I often add a few left over greens (cut into small strips) like chard to the soup, some left over brown rice can be added, or even some white beans. I have even added about one cup of white cannellini beans to the blender when pureeing half the soup in order to add a good protein source to the soup.