Easy Tomato Basil Soup

This soup is a delicious way to get your lycopene. It can be made with fresh, frozen, or canned tomatoes so it can be enjoyed year-round.

Tomato Basil Soup

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 medium onion chopped

2-4 cloves fresh garlic – minced

8 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (you can substitute frozen or canned tomatoes)*

Handful of fresh basil leaves, torn

½ teaspoon salt or to taste

½ - ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)

Heat a large sauce-pan or pot over medium heat. Add chopped onions and stir. Cook onions until they are soft and start to turn golden. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until garlic is fragrant and softened. Be careful not to burn it! Add tomatoes and stir. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 5-10 minutes until tomatoes are broken down. Remove from heat and add basil, salt, and pepper. Blend soup using an immersion blender or in traditional blender until smooth. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 5 days

*Here's an easy way to freeze those fresh tomatoes. Wash your tomatoes and use a paring knife to remove the core from the stem end. Place tomatoes on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze. Transfer to a Ziploc bag and keep in the freezer until needed.