Do you tend to overlook tomato soup? I do. These days when there is soup on the menu, whether it’s at one of those soup and sandwich joints or any number of restaurants, there usually are plenty of more adventurous items on offer, like Thai lemon grass curry soup or Morrocan lentil soup.
But maybe I’m wrong, because tomato soup remains one of the top sellers at the supermarket, right up there with good old chicken noodle. Clearly, plenty of people still see the appeal.
This is the kind of tomato soup that really is a meal, especially if you give it a good sprinkle of cheese on top. You also could use all fresh tomatoes, or some fresh and some canned, each of which will give the soup a different character.
And using vegetable broth will result in a purely vegetarian, even vegan (skip the Parmesan), soup.
Tomato, Orzo and Dill Soup
Start to finish, 35 minutes. Serves 4
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
¾ cup dried orzo, cooked and drained according to package directions
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese, to serve (optional)
Directions
In a large pot over medium, heat the oil. Add the onion, carrots and garlic, then sauté for 5 minutes, not allowing the vegetables to brown. Add the tomatoes and broth, increase the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer gently, uncovered, for another 20 minutes.
Carefully transfer the soup, in batches, to a food processor or blender and purée until smooth, or use an immersion blender and purée right in the pot. Return the soup to the pot and stir in the cooked orzo and dill, then season with salt and pepper. Serve hot, topped with Parmesan, if desired.
Nutrition information per serving: 340 calories; 45 calories from fat (13 percent of total calories); 5 g fat (0.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 560 mg sodium; 64 g carbohydrate; 7 g fiber; 13 g sugar; 13 g protein.
