Tomato Basil Soup

Another post-wisdom teeth surgery creation, this Tomato Basil soup is creamy and rich and delicious! No fat or oils - just pure, tomato-y GOODNESS! Enjoy :-)

Tomato Basil Soup
6-8 Celery Stalks, diced
2 Medium Onions, diced
4-6 Medium Carrots, diced
4 cloves Garlic, minced
6 Large Tomatoes (I used 3 heirloom Ugli tomatoes and 3 Standard Globe tomatoes), skins removed**, chopped
8 oz Tomato Paste
3 C Water
3 C Veggie Stock
2 t Onion Powder
2 t Garlic Powder
1 T Italian Seasoning blend
1/2 C Greek Yogurt
1/2 C Milk
0-2 C Water, depending on how thick you like your soup!
1 Bunch of Basil, divided

Bring 3 cups water and 3 cups veggies stock to boil in a large pot. Add celery, onion, carrots, and garlic, stirring every 5 mins. Remove skins from tomatoes and chop into roughly 1 inch pieces. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, onion powder, garlic powder, and italian seasoning to pot. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for at least 40 minutes (I usually leave mine on for an hour) to allow the flavors to develop, intensify and meld together. Remove from heat and blend with emersion blender (or process in conventional blender in batches) until very smooth. Add greek yogurt, milk, and is using, additional water and blend until smooooth and silky. Pick the leaves from the basil and chop 3/4 of them, reserving the remaining for garnish. Add chopped basil to soup and blend again. Add a basil leaf or two on top when serving and you've got yourself a pretty little bowl that's sure to impress.

**To remove the skins from the tomatoes without damaging them, bring a pot of water to a boil and prepare an ice bath on the side. Cut a very shallow "X" into the bottom of the tomato and drop them in batches into the boiling water. After 1 minute, remove with slotted spoon and plunge into ice bath. The skins should come right off just by rubbing the tomato. VOILA! Done :-)

Step 1: Collect Ingredients

 Step 2: Chop Onion, Celery, Carrot and Garlic - Add to boiling water/stock

 Step 3: Remove Skins from Tomatoes

Step 4: Chop Tomatoes

 Step 5: Add to pot along with seasonings and cook 40 mins to an hour.

  Step 6: Puree, add milk and yogurt, (optional water), and basil and puree!

Options:
If you want a little more texture in your soup (I prefer it, but wasn't able to chew - stupid wisdom teeth), remove the skins from 3-4 Roma tomatoes, chop into uniform pieces. Oven roast them at 400 with olive oil, salt, pepper and some italian seasoning for 20 minutes (or until soft and bubbly). Add to soup after pureed.

Garnishes:
Basil Leaves
Saltine Crackers
Corn Chips (Fritos)
Croutons
Toasted French Bread slices
Parmesan Cheese
Cheddar Cheese
and of course, GRILLED CHEESE