One of my favorite treats growing up was a bowl of creamy tomato soup that my Mom would serve with gooey grilled cheese sandwiches. I have made a number of variations of this soup throughout the years that often included heavy cream, but I decided I wanted to rebuild the soup, creating a healthier version. My requirements were that the soup had to be thick and creamy without actually containing cream, and the soup also had to have a full, rich tomato flavor with lots of depth.
This recipe was adapted from one I found on the Eating Well website, and my family all loved it and were quite surprised it was a healthy version with no cream. I used my Vitamix blender which does an amazing job of blending just about anything creamy and smooth, but any blender or even a hand blender would work. To garnish the soup, I simply thinned a little fat-free Greek yogurt with milk, but a drizzle of basil pesto, or even a grilled slice of bread topped with melted reduced fat cheese would be delicious also.
Silken tofu and brown rice are used to thicken this soup instead of cream creating a rich, creamy flavorful soup.
Yield: Serves 6
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 35 mins
1 Large Onion, Peeled & Diced
4 Garlic Cloves, Peeled & Diced
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 (14 Ounce) Can Chicken or Vegetable Broth
2 Cups Water
1/3 Cup Brown Rice
1 (28 Ounce) Can Tomatoes
3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1/2 Cup Silken Tofu
1 1/2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
Salt & Pepper
Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan and cook the onions until translucent on medium heat, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two.
Add the broth, water and brown rice and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and cook until the rice is very tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes, tofu, tomato paste, and vinegar, and cook for 5 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper, then puree the soup in batches until creamy and smooth.
Keep warm on a low heat until ready to serve.