I know you have all been sitting at the edge of your seat waiting and wondering what I served with those delicious Mini Bacon and Egg Tarts…and here it is. Tomato-Basil Soup.
When I was in college, my roommates were into food almost as much as I was. For the most part we cooked for ourselves (and I got really good cooking for one), but sometimes we would make stuff for us all to share. One of my roommates was not a huge fan of cheese, but she loved italian food, and had spent a lot of time in Italy growing up. She made this amazing pasta dish for us that we would ask for again and again – the secret was that she added cream cheese to the tomato sauce, and it made this very creamy sauce, almost like a vodka sauce, that covered the pasta just beautifully so you would get a mouth full of sauce with every bite. I absolutely loved it, and was so excited whenever it was in my future. I had almost forgotten all about this, until I saw this Tomato-Basil Soup…
As I was looking through my Cooking Light, I spotted this soup. My girls have been asking for tomato soup lately – mostly because they know it goes well with grilled cheese, one of their favorites. I looked at the recipe and I noticed the cream cheese. My mind went instantly to college and that pasta recipe my roommate used to make. I could taste the soup before even making it – and I knew it would be amazing. Well, I was right – and as a bonus, this was incredibly easy to make, and a light version. Back when I was in college, I don’t think light cream cheese existed, but I tell you, you would not notice the difference. This soup was so creamy, and so rich tasting – and together with those delicious tarts, it was just perfect.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, cut into cubes
- 2 cups 1% low-fat milk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Preparation
Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook for 1 minute. Add basil and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Stir in cheese until melted. Place mixture in blender, and blend until smooth. Return to pan; stir in milk, salt, and pepper. Return to medium-high; cook 2 minutes.
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First Look, Then Cook 