Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Cream Soup

Though Go Dairy Free keeps us very busy, I do love my work for Allergic Living magazine, too. I still have a recipe column in every issue, and I get to exercise my brain in a different creative way: writing quippy product and book reviews. You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to sum up an entire book in 100 words or less, all while being both entertaining and informational. That said, I have to evaluate what I’m writing quite thoroughly in order to be so succinct, and as I do, I definitely find a few gems. From the winter issue, YUM: plant-based recipes for a gluten-free diet by Theresa Nicassio PhD caught my eye. And today, I’m excited to share some details on this fresh title (more than 100 words!) along with a sample recipe for Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Cream Soup.

Stealing a line from my Allergic Living review: “Lush photos of plant life intertwine with wholesome eats in this healthy lifestyle cookbook.” It’s true, I think there are as many photos of fruits, vegetables and flowers as there are of the recipes (not every recipe has a photo, but some do). Theresa is a doctor of psychology, and as such, YUM embraces food and nutrition as an integral part of living, rather than simple sustenance.

She is also a gourmet raw food chef who enjoys preparing a fresh array of smoothies, salads and creamy desserts, but I don’t want to put too much emphasis on that, as she does heat things up for the cooler months, with recipes like the tomato cream soup below. As you will notice though, she “roasts” at a low baking temperature, which I would assume preserves more nutrients.

YUM kicks off with many healthy living tips along with a nutritional ingredient primer before jumping into the 180+ recipes. All are gluten-free and plant-based (vegan, in other words – this includes dairy-free, egg-free, and meat-free), and a thorough allergen chart within the book cross-references each recipe for other food concerns, including nuts, soy, corn, grains, citrus, potatoes, nightshades, beans, caffeine, and sugar. There are many “free from” options in all of these categories.

But I think what I love most about YUM is how personal the recipes are. Each includes an introduction about what makes it is special – a story, a history, or simply some nutritional tidbits. Theresa isn’t just sharing formulas, she’s sharing little bits of life for you to experience. And many of the titles reflect that. Just a small assortment of the recipes include:

• Angeline’s Favourite Hot Chocolate (I’m guessing by the spelling that Theresa is Canadian!)
• Sunrise Sensation Omega Smoothie
• Flax & Chia Raw Power Breakfast
• Rise & Shine Instant Hot Breakfast Cereal
• Kilmeny’s Korean Zucchini Pancakes
• Pachamama Salad
• Carrot & Cabbage Probiotic Sauerkraut
• Rosemary-Infused Cream of Mushroom Soup
• Best No-Meat Meat (with variations)
• Eric’s Famous Chili
• Raw Zucchini “Pasta” with Creamy Sunflower Seed Sauce
• Crustless Cheesy Broccoli Quiche
• Raw Pineapple Banana Dream Pies
• Fudge Lava Cake

And lets not forget that Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Cream Soup recipe below. Try it, see what you think! If you’re a fan, then YUM might be the perfect book for you.

Special Diet Notes: Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Cream Soup

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, optionally nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan / plant-based, and vegetarian.

For a paleo version of this tomato cream soup, you can use lite coconut milk in place of the milk beverage, or your own homemade milk beverage. Also, you can use a paleo-friendly vinegar, such as apple cider vinegar.

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Cream Soup

 

Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

This soup is incredibly versatile. In addition to being enjoyed as a soup, it can be used as a pasta sauce, a pizza sauce, a condiment in wraps or to enliven a rice or quinoa dish. You can also add a dash of cayenne pepper if you want a spicy twist. Enjoy experimenting with the possibilities!

Author: Theresa Nicassio, PhD

Serves: 5 to 6 cups

Ingredients

• 2 large red bell peppers, roughly chopped
• 1 medium tomato, roughly chopped
• 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
• ½ large onion, roughly chopped
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
• 1 large green onion, chopped
• 2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk beverage or your favorite creamy non-dairy milk beverage
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 2 to 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast, to taste
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar or white vinegar
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 teaspoon fresh oregano)
• ¾ teaspoon Himalayan salt, or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon dried basil (or ½ teaspoon fresh basil)
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 315ºF.
2. Place the chopped vegetables onto a lightly greased large baking pan and drizzle with the olive oil, stirring to coat well.
3. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until the vegetables are nicely roasted and beginning to caramelize.
4. While the vegetables are in the oven, blend the remaining ingredients together in a blender until smooth.
5. Once the vegetables are caramelized, add them to the blender with the other ingredients and blend until creamy.
6. Serve warm directly from the blender or refrigerate until later. This soup freezes well.

Notes

Recipe excerpted from Gourmand Award-Winning YUM: plant-based recipes for a gluten-free diet (Sept 2015) by Theresa Nicassio, PhD of www.yumfoodforliving.com.

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