Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

This creamy-dreamy tomato soup is a perfect comfort food. The best part: this recipe can be made keto/low carb friendly, and is gluten free! As with most soups, ingredients can be added and/or omitted according to your preferred taste.

Ingredients:

• 1 Qt. home preserved diced tomatoes (or one 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes)
• 3 – 4 cups of beef broth
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1/2 large purple onion, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 celery rib, diced
• 2-4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves + garnish
• 1 cup heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp stevia or 1-2 tsp sugar may be added if desired

• In a large stockpot, melt the butter. Add in diced onion, carrot, and celery, sauté until tender then add garlic and cook an additional minute.
• Pour in beef broth and tomatoes followed by oregano, and fresh basil leaves. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in salt, pepper, stevia or sugar (if desired,) and heavy cream. Cool slightly.
• If using an immersion blender: submerge the blender head and thoroughly blend all ingredient together in the stockpot until a rich, creamy consistency is reached.
• If using a traditional blender: allow the soup to cool for several minutes before transferring to the blender cup (in portions or one half of the soup at a time) making sure to leave the blender cup less that 3/4 full, as the soup will gain a slight bit of volume inside the blender cup. Blend until the soup is smooth and creamy and transfer from the blender cup to a large bowl. Continue blending until all portions of the soup are uniform in consistency.
• Return all blended soup to the stockpot . Reheat. Garnish with additional basil leaf/sprig before serving, you may also add the decorative swirl using heavy cream, or perhaps sour cream, if desired. Enjoy!