Recipes

[IamMrsG]

I love Campbell's Cream of Tomato Soup.  A big mug o' hot soup to hold in my hands to sip 'n savor is pure comfort food to me.  The problem is, what keeps me from enjoying it, is the whopping amount of salt in it.  I have been on a crusade looking for an acceptable substitute for the past year, and think I've come as close as I ever will with this recipe.   Although I am sure they're equally delicious, I did not make the garlic toasts, but had a grilled cheese sandwich instead.

I cannot include a source, as it came from a friend of a friend.

Tomato Soup with Garlic-Cheddar Toasts

Serves 4

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter 

1 onion, chopped

3 minced garlic cloves + 2 halved garlic cloves 

28 ounce San Marzano peeled tomatoes; tomatoes chopped, juice reserved

1 ½ cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon brown sugar 

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

1/4 cup reduced fat cream cheese

8 small slices Ciabatta bread (about 4 ounces)

½ cup shredded reduced fat sharp Cheddar

1/4 cup sliced fresh basil leaves or 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 7 minutes.

Add minced garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in tomatoes and juice, broth, brown sugar, salt and pepper flakes.  Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add cream cheese, stirring until melted.  Remove from heat.  Puree soup in pot with handheld immersion blender, or cool 5 minutes and blend in small batches in blender.  Add a little more chicken broth or water if soup is very thick.

Preheat broiler.  Place ciabatta on baking sheet and broil 6 inches from heat source, turning once, until bread is lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.  Remove from oven and rub toasted bread with halved garlic cloves.  Sprinkle each slice with 1 Tablespoon Cheddar.  Broil toasts until cheese melts, about 30 seconds.

Ladle soup evenly into 4 bowls. Top each serving with 1 Tablespoon basil and serve with toasts on the side, or dice toasts and place on top like croutons.

[millieshops]

@IamMrsGMy idea of lunch or even a light dinner, for sure.

But I'm too lazy to work so hard.  I buy Pacific's organic creamy tomato soup which has far less sodium than Campbell's.  I've never gotten myself to love no or even really low sodium products, but I also know I'm never going back to Campbell's.  There's always a box of the Pacific in my pantry or open in the refrig.

[IamMrsG]

@millieshops   I agree with you about low sodium products.  Without so much salt, it is a real challenge to find flavor in processed foods.  I am not familiar with the Pacific brand; but, until trying this recipe, I have been buying VeganEats soups.  Besides for the tomato soup, there are several varieties in their line that I have liked. 

[millieshops]

@IamMrsGThanks.  I'll look for the VeganEats products, too.  

[deepwaterdotter]

My favorite tomato soup recipe calls for pieces of chopped onions. You could puree after simmering for 25 minutes, but I like the whole pieces of onion. This is from the King Arthur's Flour site:

5 tbsp butter

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onions

28 oz tomato puree

1/2 tsp basil

1/4 tsp thyme

3 tbsp flour

15-oz chicken broth

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp sugar

12 oz evaporated milk

1/2 tsp salt

Heat butter and oil in big saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in onions and saute until golden.  Stir in puree, basil, thyme, and pinch of pepper.  Simmer for 10 minutes.

Whisk flour and broth together in small bowl until smooth.  Stir into soup.  Cover and simmer slowly for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in baking soda, sugar, milk, and salt.  Bring to a simmer and serve.

[cindyNC]

@IamMrsG  Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!!! Campbell's is also my favorite tomato soup. Have you frozen this? 

[ECBG]

@IamMrsG That sounds SO VERY yummy!!!!!

[tiny 2]

@IamMrsG, I am sure this is going to be so much better than the Campbells. I tried some recently and I think it may have changed. It was unbelievably sweet. It tasted like tomato syrup with tons of salt.

Thank you! I look forward to trying this.