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I’m a planner. A preparer. I like to be ready. Growing up, my dad was always saying, “Boy Scout motto: Be prepared.” I guess it rubbed off a little bit! When I’m working, or attending a teaching workshop like I am this month, I try to make sure there that all of our lunches (and some dinners) are ready to go. I make a few salads, hard boil eggs, grill some chicken, maybe make up a batch of tuna salad for the hubs… whatever we want that week. That way, when it’s 7:30 in the morning and I’m half-asleep, I can just throw a couple things into my lunchbox and head out the door.
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This weekend when I was doing my meal prep, I decided I wanted to have soup & salad for lunch. For the soup, I wanted something creamy and blended, but with meat to make it a little heartier. After some Paleo, primal, gluten-free, and Whole30 friendly. My recipe made about five 2-cup servings (plus a little extra that I ate while taking pictures), which was perfect for a week’s worth of lunches. I pre-portioned my soup and stored it in mason jars to make it super easy to grab-and-go in the mornings.
Ingredients:
1 14-ounce can of coconut milk
3 14.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes (I used the no-salt added kind — you could also substitute fresh tomatoes from your garden!)
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups of chicken broth (I used Swanson low-sodium broth, but homemade would work great here too!)
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 pound ground beef
2 medium Vidalia onions, diced
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
salt, to taste
Heat a large pot (I used a stock pot but a Dutch oven would work great too) over medium heat. Add in one pound of ground beef and the diced onions, cook until onions are beginning to become translucent and then add the minced garlic (I recruited my husband to garlic press — it’s his all-time favorite cooking task).
While your beef, onions, and garlic are cooking, use a blender (I love my Ninja Ultima, but any blender would work fine) to blend together one can of coconut milk and three cans of diced tomatoes.
When the ground beef is browned, pour in the tomato/coconut mixture, as well as the chicken broth, fresh ground pepper, and salt (to taste). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir in the chopped basil and remove from heat.
You’re all done! Serve hot and garnish with some fresh basil leaves and maybe soak it up with some crusty French bread. If you’re packing lunches like me, ladle your tomato basil soup into pint-sized mason jars and stuck it in the fridge. Honestly, I haven’t even been microwaving mine since I eat outside and it’s been over 90 degrees here.
- 1 14-ounce can of coconut milk
- 3 14.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes (I used the no-salt added kind)
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth (I used Swanson low-sodium broth, but homemade would work great here too!)
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 medium Vidalia onions, diced
- 1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
- salt, to taste
- Heat a stock pot to medium. Cook ground beef and onions until onions begin to become translucent. Add garlic and cook until beef is browned.
- While beef is browning, blend together coconut milk and diced tomatoes in a blender.
- Stir in coconut/tomato mixture, chicken broth, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for ~15 minutes.
- Mix in chopped basil and remove from heat.
- Serve and enjoy!
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My daughter loves tomato soup…I can’t wait to try your recipe!
Thanks, Paris! The hubs and I have been eating it for lunches and we’re loving it!
Tomato soup is my all time favorite. I have fresh basil growing on my deck! Sounds like a great combo to me! I’m a soup and sandwich for lunch kind of girl too.
Awesome, Shirley! I have a little basil plant too — this is a great non-pesto recipe to use it for! I love rocking a soup and salad or soup and sandwich for lunch, it’s yummy and adds a little bit of variety!
This looks delicious. I have never thought of coconut milk in tomato soup. can’t wait to try it.
@ Mary — the coconut milk replaces cream and adds a creamy dimension to the soup. I really loved the way it turned out and think I’ll be trying it in other soup recipes too.
This looks so wonderful! I will definitely be giving this a try!!
I know you’ll love it, Karen!
Yum, I can’t wait to try this soup for the fall!! Plus, use all that frozen basil, too! I need to do a grilled cheese with my soup though!
Ursula aka Blueridge Beauty
I’ve never thought of freezing basil, Ursula! I might need to though, depending on how successful my little balcony herb garden is this summer. Great idea though — grilled cheese goes perfect with tomato soup!
Looks delicious! I love planning out meals to make mornings easier… but I’m super bad at it! Maybe this will help to whip me into shape… the hubbs would love this soup!
Meal prep takes some getting used to, but it’s soooo worth it, Betsy!!
I am LOVING this twist on classic tomato soup! It’s such a heartwarming thing for fall and winter, so I’ll be bookmarking this for when the temperature drops.
Coming Up Roses
Thanks Erica! It will be perfect for cooler weather, though I’ve been enjoying it in the summer heat as well.
I have one of these high powered blenders, but I haven’t tried doing soup in one. This looks so good and hearty!
Stephanie, I mostly use my fancy blender for smoothies, but I’m trying to branch out a little bit. I have a whole bunch of smooth soups pinned on Pinterest, just waiting to be made!