Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup

Mmmm Mmmm Good.  Nothing takes me back to being a kid more than a big bowl of creamy tomato soup.  A long day of ice skating, sledding, making snow creatures was always made better knowing a tummy warming lunch awaited!

Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup

Serves 6 – 8

Vegan For Everybody Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen

1/4         cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving

1            onion, chopped fine

3            garlic cloves, minced

1            bay leaf

              pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

2            28 oz. cans whole peeled tomatoes

3            slices hearty white sandwich bread, crusts removed, torn into 1” pieces

1            tablespoon packed organic brown sugar

2            cups vegetable broth

2            tablespoons brandy (optional)

              salt and pepper

            ***You can always add a touch of vegan creamer at the very end of cooking.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, garlic, bay leaf, and pepper flakes, if using, and cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes and their juice.  Using potato masher, mash tomatoes until no pieces bigger than 2 inches remain.  Stir in bread and sugar and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until bread is completely saturated and starts to break down, about 5 minutes.  Discard bay leaf.

Transfer half of soup to blender.  Add 1 tablespoon oil and process until soup is smooth and creamy, 2-3 minutes.  Transfer to large bowl and repeat with remaining soup and remaining 1 tablespoon oil.  Return pureed soup to clean pot.

Stir in broth and brandy (if using).  Return soup to boil and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve, sprinkling individual bowls with croutons or chives and drizzling with extra oil.