Tomato Soup for the Soul

I have to admit... almost all dinners are better with some tomato.  Almost anything I can think of to cook sounds better nestled in tomato sauce... shakshuka, a quick bowl of mussels, or this roman chicken recipe I made on a camping trip...

So when it comes to a wintry, homemade vegetable soup you can't be surprised I didn't think too far outside the box.  With fresh or canned tomatoes, this is a great way to use up leftover bits and pieces of veggies in the fridge or put the stock you've been making to good use! :)


Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 small yellow bell pepper, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

6 oz can tomato paste

1/2 cup red wine

6 cups chicken stock

6 tomatoes (about two pounds), roughly chopped

1 tablespoon red wine or balsamic vinegar

1-2 Parmesan rinds, optional

Salt and pepper, to taste

Grated Parmesan, or Greek yogurt and julienned fresh basil, for serving

Directions

In a large pot, saute the chopped onion, celery and pepper in the olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper and cook until soft.  Add the garlic and cook for a minute, until garlic is fragrant.  Add the tomato paste and wine and stir until incorporated; bring to a simmer.

Remove the vegetable mixture to a food processor or Nutribullet and blend until smooth.  Return to the pot and add the chicken stock, tomatoes, vinegar and Parmesan rinds.  Bring back up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer from 20 minutes to one hour, or until tomatoes have reached the desired texture.  Serve topped with more Parmesan, or Greek yogurt and fresh basil, if desired, and enjoy!

Tomato, tomahto