Guest post from My Cook King blog
If you’d love to feed your little ones with only the good stuff, then you shouldn’t skip healthful tomatoes in the picture. But how do you package them in such a manner that they look appealing and yummy for kids? Tomato soup is the answer!
So over the weekend or any ordinary day, you might want to prepare a brightly colored, nutrient-dense tomato soup that does not take much time to make. Here is how.
Easy 3-Step Tomato Soup
So if you got some fresh tomatoes in the fridge, you can take them out, dice and cook them for this recipe. Alternatively, I recommend buying canned and diced tomatoes, if you don’t have much time to cook it as long as you would with raw tomatoes.
But then for healthy eaters and vegans out there, I suggest you replace butter with olive oil and make use of roasted sweet potatoes to add in some creaminess in this delicious soup.
What I love about this soup are its creamy and smooth texture and its sweet and fresh flavor. But for a little bit more of aroma, I suggest some fresh basil in the recipe. The choice is up to you.
But for this tomato soup recipe for kids, we need sweet potatoes that you should be making them ahead for up to three days before cooking; otherwise, you can just buy canned butternut squash.
Ingredients
- Two tablespoons of olive oil
- One medium-sized roasted sweet potato (*Alternative: a can of butternut squash)
- One medium and thinly sliced onion
- Three cloves of garlic
- About eight leaves of fresh basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: a cup of grilled cheddar cheese cubes
Preparation
- Warm your olive oil in a glass top stove cookware like a skillet over medium heat, and then add and stir your onion before sprinkling it with salt. Again, stir and coat the onion and let it soften and turn transparent for about three minutes.
- Add in and stir the tomatoes and garlic before lowering the heat. Simmer your mixture for about 10 minutes or right until your tomatoes are reduced in size.
- Get your tomato soup and puree it in a blender, together with the roasted sweet potato/butternut squash. Add in the basil leaves. Blend until all the ingredients are creamy and smooth in texture.
That’s it! Serve it warm. Kids will surely love this tomato soup recipe because it is thin enough for them to drink in a cup or pair with bread/crackers and grilled cheese. You can store leftover soup in the fridge, or use it as a pasta sauce for a snack.
Cooking Tips
Don’t puree everything together. I recommend pureeing in small batches and opening the blender’s lid slightly, or you may want to remove its center cap from the lid for your protection.
Remember that steam can build up when you blend, so you might be sprayed with hot soup all over your face and body and your kitchen if the blender is overfilled or if the lid is placed tightly.
For added protection, you may also want to cover the blender’s top with a dishtowel while pureeing the tomato soup.
Garnishing Tips
This 3-step tomato soup is so versatile, yet it tastes delicious with any of your choice garnishes.
And aside from grilled cheese that I’ve mentioned earlier, you may use other garnishes. One is the sour cream, parmesan, and goat cheese garnish.
All you need is to combine ¼ cup of goat cheese, ½ cup of sour cream and one tablespoon of parmesan cheese, and then add a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of sliced chives.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Freezing
Do you have a plan freezing some of your tomato soup? If yes, I suggest out the milk or cream if you’d cook with it. While you can still freeze soup with cream, you should carefully reheat it to prevent curdling.
Before freezing, you should cool it down for about two hours.
NEVER put hot soup in your freezer; otherwise, it will build ice and cause condensation.
Put tomato soup intended for freezing in a freezer-safe container. Using this storage method, you can store the tomato soup for up to six months.
You can also store leftover tomato soup in the refrigerator for up to two days, or even longer, but you should boil it three times a week. Alternatively, you can just keep it in the freezer as mentioned.
Nutritional Benefits Of Tomato Soup
Did you know that introducing your toddlers to healthy soups like this one is a great way not only to get them familiar with the taste of fruits and vegetables but also to improve their overall health?
And did you also know that a bowl of this soup is simmering with nutrients that they need for mental and physical development?
Not convinced? Check out the following for the health benefits of tomato soup.
For one, tomato soup is dense with vitamins A, C, E and K, antioxidants and essential minerals that keep kids healthy, smart and fit.
It promotes proper blood circulation with its selenium content and it helps in preventing anemia. [Did you know that a serving of tomato soup could provide up to 7 micrograms of selenium, which is about 11% of the recommended daily allowance?]
Tomato soup also improves nerve health for its copper content, while its potassium helps in nerve signal transmission.
The calcium and vitamin K in tomato soup develop bones of your little ones.
It also contains loads of lycopene that prevent osteoporosis and improves bone mass. Lycopene also enhances the immune system. It works by neutralizing oxidative damage brought about by free radicals, which destroy the cell’s natural makeup.
It may also improve cardiovascular health with its high vitamin C content, and it may provide arterial protection and heart strengthening benefits.
It may also reduce bad cholesterol in the blood and prevent the clumping of blood platelets.
What are you waiting for? Try my super easy 3-step tomato soup recipe that kids approve and love!
My King Cook shares healthy cooking and culinary advice with the world! We keep learning new things, unique cooking traditions and food culture for the benefit of those who want to stay healthy and well with great food. Healthy cooking need not break the bank and eat much time. Check out our blog MyKingCook.com for the latest recipes, cooking tips and kitchenware reviews today!
Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.
My tomato soup does not contain any dairy but when I freeze it, it always curdles. It is smooth when I put it in the freezer. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!