Tomato Soup, Perfected

In reality, only God is perfect. But a simple change to this simple soup made it even yummier than it was already. I was thinking about ways to thicken foods without using flour (I’m currently taking a break from refined sugar and flour.) I thought of cornstarch (not sure the texture would be be optimal.) I thought of almond butter (I was ready to try it.) Then I thought of beans. I think sweets work well with cornstarch. Sauce works with nut butters. But using beans to thicken soup? It seems obvious… even perfect. Because roux doesn’t do tomatoes any favors in the flavor department, while the beans let the tomato flavor shine through. Hooray!

Now, a note about canned tomatoes: For smoothest texture in blended soups, read the labels and find a variety that does not have calcium chloride added. This additive helps tomatoes keep their structure even after cooking, and they will never break down completely. I thought whole peeled tomatoes would fit this requirement, but I found “ground peeled” to be the only type without calcium chloride in the brand I buy.

Adapted from The Kitchn
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2/3 cup canned white beans with cooking liquid (about half a can.)
• 2 (28-ounce) cans tomatoes (look for a type without calcium chloride)
• 2 bay leaves
• Other fresh herbs such as rosemary or thyme, optional
• 1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate, or juice of 1 orange
• Additional salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large pot or Dutch oven. Cook onion, sprinkled with1/4 tsp salt, until soft and well-browned. Stir in garlic, tomato paste, and 1/4 tsp salt. Continue to cook for a few more minutes, until the tomato paste darkens in color. Add tomatoes, beans, bay leaves, and several sprigs of fresh herbs if you have them. Bring to a simmer and cook at least 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and herb sprigs, take the pot off the stove, and blend until smooth using an immersion blender (or in batches in a regular blender.) Return to stove and warm to serving temperature, stirring in orange juice and adding more salt and pepper to taste.