It's a Friday of Lent and you know what that means…no meat all day!
Throughout the season of Lent, Christians abstain from meat on Fridays. This is done out of reverence for Good Friday, the day that Jesus died on the cross.
If having a meatless Friday strikes fear into your heart, take courage! Making your Friday meatless doesn't have to be difficult. Today, I thought I’d share one of our favorite (and super easy!) meatless meals - Homemade Tomato Soup. Now if you're thinking of the thin red liquid in a can kind of tomato soup then think again! This soup is absolutely incredible! It is thick, flavorful, and has a really deep, hearty taste.
Incredible Homemade Tomato Soup
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 carrots, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 pounds coarsely chopped tomatoes (5 large) or 1 28-ounce can petite diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves or 1 tablespoon dried basil
3 cups vegetable stock
1-2 teaspoons salt, to taste
2 teaspoons black pepper
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, vegetable stock, salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender.
Leave the soup as it is or process it with an immersion blender. We love either way!
Serve with grilled cheese and enjoy!