Description
For THM fuel type I’m going to call this an S Helper. It’s not a full blown Crossover if you allow for some tomatoes in an S meal, but it is a lot of tomato for a straight S. If you add the toasted cheese melts (see how in the recipe instructions below) this would be a THM XO meal. I could’ve tried to cut down the fat for a more THM E-ish soup but I wanted a full on delicious tomato basil soup for my repertoire. It’s one of my husband Ryan’s favorites and so easy. Right now I’m often either pregnant or nursing so S Helpers and Crossovers are my jam – and they’re great for hungry husbands and growing children. If you want to try to cut back on the fat you could try using just a tablespoon of butter and try using low fat cottage cheese for creaminess in place of the whipping cream (it gets blended up anyway). If you do that you’d have a “light E” and should add a carb source on the side (like a slice of sprouted or sourdough toast) for a true THM E meal. (Note: the cottage cheese may get grainy if you really cook it. Don’t boil the soup before blending it, and try not to overcook it.)
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 medium onion (sliced)
- 1/2 cup oat fiber
- 2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes (I got mine at Aldi and they had a bit of salt added)
- 2 cups water (hint: use the water to clean out your tomato cans before adding to the soup to get all the goodness!)
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh or frozen basil leaves (see alternatives below)
- 1/3 cup collagen
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon THM Super Sweet Blend
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt (to taste – may vary depending on your ingredients)
Instructions
Sauté the onion in the butter in a non-reactive pot – an enamel coated Dutch oven works great (and stainless steel is fine too). Sauté until the onion is brown and wilted. Add the oat fiber and stir to coat the onions.
Add the rest of the ingredients (except the salt). Blend with an immersion blender or a regular blender until smooth. (You can probably get a smoother texture with a regular blender, but I usually use my immersion blender because it’s easier with less clean up. Be careful if using a regular blender. Blending hot liquids can cause pressure buildups so be very careful and vent the blender as needed.) Tip: if using an immersion blender, blend before the soup boils so you don’t have to contend with spattering hot tomato while you’re trying to blend. Add salt to taste after blending.
Bring the soup to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 15 minutes; cover the pan but leave the lid cracked. Taste and adjust as needed. Serve.
How to make toasted cheese melts (THM XO): place slices of sprouted bread (I like Aldi’s) on a sheet pan. Spread the top of each with mayo (you can use butter, but I prefer mayo) and top with garlic powder and shredded cheddar cheese. Broil in the oven until the cheese is melted. (Don’t toast them too much or they’ll dry out.) Serve with tomato basil soup!
To stay lower carb, try making a quick cheese quesadilla using a low carb tortilla and your favorite cheese! I also like to smear a little pesto inside the tortilla to echo the basil in the soup.
Notes
Tip: if using frozen basil leaves, measure them before they thaw or else they’ll really wilt and you won’t get an accurate measurement.
The collagen is just there for protein. Feel free to leave it out if you add protein to your meal in some other way.
Oat fiber: This is a really fine, dry, low carb flour that I like to use for thickening soups and gravies. I don’t know of any great substitutes, but some people use psyllium husk flakes in its place. Oat fiber can usually only be found online. Use gluten free oat fiber for a gluten free option. Oat fiber and oat flour are different and are not interchangeable.
Basil: fresh basil really makes this soup amazing. If you don’t have it you can also use basil puree – I tried Aroma One Organics Basil Puree (in a tube) from Walmart (picture above in post). Find it near the spices for around $3. I used 2 tablespoons, and you can always add more if you prefer. (I think I’ve seen a similar product at Aldi too.) You could also try using a good pesto! I love Aldi’s green pesto. In a pinch you could use dried basil. Add any of these substitutes to taste – you definitely won’t need half a cup.
Chicken bouillon: I use Better than Bouillon chicken bouillon from Walmart. You could probably use 2 cups of chicken stock in place of the water and chicken bouillon, but you’ll need to increase the salt and seasonings.
Baking soda: this just helps the tomato soup not be so acidic with a more rounded flavor.
THM Super Sweet Blend: use your favorite low glycemic sweetener to taste in place of this if desired.
Allergies: gluten free (use gluten free oat fiber and watch the bouillon ingredients), egg and nut free (again, watch the bouillon ingredients). To make the soup dairy free, use refined coconut oil or olive oil in place of the butter, cream up the soup with full fat coconut milk in place of the whipping cream, and use a df bouillon (or broth in its place).
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: THM S Helper
