Roasted tomatoes have up to eight times the amount of the powerful antioxidant lycopene than uncooked tomatoes.
1 pound fresh tomatoes 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided 1 carrot, diced 1 stalk celery, diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 medium shallots, chopped 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (lemon basil is recommended) Dash of cayenne pepper Bay leaf Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 2 cups fat-free, low-sodium vegetable broth Preheat oven to 400°.
Slice tomatoes in half; place on foil-lined cookie sheet. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil over tomatoes. Slightly fold the edges of the foil in, toward the tomatoes, to capture any juice. In the meantime, in a small skillet on medium-low heat, sauté diced carrot and celery in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil until tender, 10–15 minutes. Add garlic and shallots; turn heat to low and continue to sauté another 5 minutes.
Remove tomatoes from the oven, allow to cool 15 minutes or until they are cool enough to handle. Peel the tomatoes; the peeling should easily slide off. Discard peelings. If desired, push tomatoes through a sieve to remove any seeds. (It’s not necessary to remove seeds, but rather a personal preference. I prefer to leave the seeds.)
Add all ingredients to a food processor, or use an emulsion blender to purée.
Add tomato purée and broth to medium pot, bring to a boil; reduce heat to a low simmer and cook 15–20 minutes. If a thicker soup is preferred, combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon cold broth or water; add to soup, stir, and allow to simmer a few more minutes until thickened. Remove bay leaf and serve.
Nutritional Data Calories: 125 Total Fat: 9g Saturated Fat: 1g Trans Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 78mg Carbohydrates: 12g Dietary Fiber: 2g Sugars: 3g Protein: 2g This and other Skinny Ms. Superfoods recipes can be found in:
