Protein-Rich Tomato Soup
IMMUNE BOOSTING | DIGESTION | COMFORT FOOD
Reviewed by Dr. Nisha Singh, Dietitian (Ph.D.), MSc.FN.
This vegetarian tomato soup is packed in protein and fiber, and it’s naturally creamy with no extra cream, making it the perfect warm-weather soup!
A traditional creamy tomato soup is one of my favorite soups to eat. There’s something so comforting about a bowl of tomato soup with crackers or grilled cheese on the side. While most canned soup variations are poor in protein and fiber and high in sodium.
So I set out to make my version of a classic vegan tomato soup that is high in protein and fiber, velvety without the use of cream, packed with nutrients, and low in salt.
Why Does This Recipe Succeed?
It’s as simple as one, two, three to make this vegan tomato soup. It’s as simple as heating a few freezer and pantry essentials on the stovetop, blending them, and voilà! Done as though it were supper.
This vegetarian tomato soup is one of my favorites since it not only tastes like a traditional tomato soup, but it also has a greater protein content owing to the addition of chickpeas and nutritional yeast. It’s also quite creamy and full of vegetables thanks to the butternut squash.
And one serving contains 15 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber in no time! Please accept my request.
Ingredients
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 cloves garlicminced
- 2 cups frozen butternut squash
- 2 x 680 ml cans tomato sauce about 5 1/2 cups
- 1 cup no salt added vegetable broth
- 1 19 oz no salt added chickpeas
- 2 tbsp fortified nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp Maple syrupor more to taste
- 1/2 tsp sweet smoked paprika or more to taste
- Salt and pepperto taste
- For serving optional:
- Basil
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Toasted pine nuts
- Croutons
Butternut Squash – Take out your notepad and paper because butternut squash is one of my favorite soup hacks for adding extra creaminess and nutrients to any soup recipe! I use frozen butternut squash since it’s so convenient to throw into any soup at any time.
Tomato Sauce — To keep this dish low sodium, search for reduced-sodium tomato sauce with only tomatoes listed as an ingredient.
Low-sodium vegetable broth — To keep this dish vegan, I use low-sodium vegetable broth. If you don’t need to make this soup vegan, you may use a low-sodium chicken broth instead.
Chickpeas — Adding chickpeas to a soup is another of my favorite soup hacks. Chickpeas have a moderate flavor, so they don’t change the flavor of the soup while delivering loads of protein and fiber. (As an added bonus, chickpeas beans can be added to smoothies and dips for a protein boost.)
Nutritional Yeast – These days, I’m a little hooked with fortified nutritional yeast because it’s high in protein and vitamin B12, making it a vegan essential! Nothing compares to the cheesy umami flavor it imparts to dishes.
Maple Syrup — To balance the acidity of the tomatoes, I always add a little sweetness to tomato-based soups and sauces. If you don’t have maple syrup, brown sugar can be used.
Smoked Paprika — Smoked paprika and tomato-based dishes are a match made in heaven in my opinion. This will provide a lovely Smokey flavor to the soup, which I adore. If you are sensitive to spice, though,
Instructions On How To Make This Recipe
Step 1: In a large soup pot over medium heat, pour in the olive oil. Sauté the onion and garlic for approximately 5 minutes, or until aromatic and softened.
Step 2: Combine the butternut squash, tomato sauce, broth, beans, nutritional yeast, maple syrup, paprika, and a dash of salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Allow it to simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, or until the beans and squash are very soft.
Step 3: Puree with a hand blender or in a stand-alone blender until completely smooth. Add extra broth and season with salt and pepper to taste if you like a thinner soup.
Expert Suggestions
This dish makes use of vegetarian essentials such as nutritional yeast, maple syrup, and vegetable broth. However, if you don’t need to make this vegetarian and don’t want to go to the trouble of purchasing these specific ingredients, you don’t have to! You may replace the nutritional yeast with cheese, use chicken broth or a stock cube instead of maple syrup, and add 1-2 tablespoons of sugar to help lessen the acidity of the tomato sauce.
Faqs
Is it possible to freeze this tomato soup?
Absolutely! Allow the soup to cool for an hour or so before freezing it; alternatively, immerse the soup pot or container in an ice bath to speed up the cooling process. I also prefer freezing soups in freezer bags rather than containers since they are easier to lie flat in the freezer, freeing up (particularly if you’re like me and enjoy bulk cooking and freezing for later).
Is this a gluten-free soup recipe?
When served without croutons, the soup is inherently gluten-free. Otherwise, this soup is suitable for all of my gluten-free readers.