Health Library

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 to 2 cloves garlic chopped (optional)
• 2 14-oz cans/boxes whole peeled tomatoes
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, or water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or plain Greek yogurt (optional)

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a medium stockpot over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic (if using), stirring constantly, until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes, their juices, and stock. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
3. Working in batches, transfer tomato mixture to a blender, food processor, or food mill. Purée tomato mixture (if using a blender, cover the lid with a kitchen towel while machine is running).
4. Return soup to a clean pot and set over low heat. Whisk in cream, if desired; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Yield:

6 servings

Source:

Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center

Nutrition Tip

The tomato is one of our most versatile fruits. Tomatoes get their rich, red color — and the adoration of nutrition scientists — from their lycopene content. Lycopene, which is one of the many health-promoting carotenoids that are abundant in fruits and vegetables, is an antioxidant that is associated with a decreased risk for heart disease, macular degeneration, and various types of cancer including prostate, lung, stomach, and bladder cancers.

Combining lycopene-rich vegetables and fruits, like tomatoes, with a small amount of healthy fat, like olive oil, increases the amount of this fat-soluble antioxidant phytonutrient that your body can absorb. The absorptive effect of lycopene is even greater when tomatoes are cooked.