Coming back to school after the holidays can be overwhelming, especially if you spent your time off relaxing back home while your parents took care of you. It can be difficult to balance classes, catching up with friends, getting new school supplies, etc. Suddenly, the last thing on your mind is finding time to cook a healthy meal which is why I’ve learned to rely on a few go-to recipes that are simple, healthy, and inexpensive to make. One of my recent favourites has been tomato soup; it takes about an hour to make and is especially cozy during the winter. Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
5-10 beefsteak tomatoes (amount varies on how much you want to make, 10 should give you enough soup to last a week)
1 litre carton of full whipping cream
1 white or yellow onion (whatever you prefer)
4 cloves of garlic
2 tbs of olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Tools:
A large pot
A cookie sheet
A blender
Knife & cutting board
A potato masher
Steps:
The first thing you’ll want to do is preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, cut your tomatoes in half and slice the onion into smaller layers (the exact cuts don’t matter because you will be blending the entire soup later on). Mince the garlic.
Heat the pot to a medium temperature on your stove top and add one tablespoon of olive oil. Next, fry your tomatoes, onions, and garlic in the pot until they are nicely caramelized. Your tomatoes should look something like this when they’re done:
By the time your vegetables are caramelized, the oven should be finished heating. Turn off the big pot and move your veggies to the cookie sheet. Sprinkle some salt and pepper over them and add the other tablespoon of olive oil. Place the sheet in the oven and bake them for 20 minutes. The reason you want to fry and then bake the veggies is because it will bring out all of the natural flavours.
Once they are done baking, remove the veggies and place them back in the same big pot you fried them in. Next, take your potato masher and mash the veggies together, getting as much of the juices out of the tomatoes as you can. Your pot should look something like this:
After you are satisfied with your mashing, let the veggies sit for awhile until they are cool. You don’t want to blend hot food as the steam can cause the lid to blow off, resulting in a serious mess. Once the soup is cool, begin blending it in smaller batches until it is the consistency you like. I prefer mine to remain a little chunky for a rustic feel.
Once your done blending, place the soup back in the pot and cook at a medium temp. Next, add the carton of thick cream; or, if you want to keep the soup super healthy, skip the thick cream and add a lighter cream or milk. Then, season as you like. I add a bit of salt and pepper to keep it simple and let the natural flavours of the tomato shine through.
Once the soup is warm, voilà: you now have a tasty soup to last you the entire week! Bonus tip: add your favourite grilled cheese to complete the meal.
Enjoy your first full week back, HC UBC!
All images taken from Google images