“This healthy, vegan tomato soup recipe was my first attempt at digestive redemption following the misguided (albeit delicious) aforementioned meal. In short, I came home with a hankering for soup, the realization that I should have a salad, and the industriousness to attempt a combination of the two. I scoured my cabinets and the recesses of my refrigerator, and produced the following ingredients, which I turned into a simple, hearty, and beautifully rust-colored tomato soup.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 red onion – diced

1 large carrot – peeled and diced

1 clove garlic – minced

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp celery salt

1 large can (28 oz) diced tomato

1 1/2 cups veggie broth

2 cups mixed “super” greens (chard, kale, spinach, etc.)

salt and pepper

Directions:

Prepare all of the ingredients first. Believe me, this stuff is way easier if you prep ahead of time.

Heat the olive oil in a medium soup pan over medium heat.

When the oil is hot, add the onions and carrots. Saute the vegetables, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes or until they’re just softened.

Add the garlic, basil, thyme, and celery salt, and stir until they’re well-mixed and effervescent (about 60-90 seconds).

Add the tomato and veggie broth and mix.

Puree the mixture in one of two ways. Either pour the mixture into a blender or food processor, and puree until smooth, or use an immersion blender (the most wonderful kitchen tool in the world) to puree the tomatoes and vegetables in the soup pan.

Add a pinch each of salt and pepper, and cook the tomato mixture for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

After the soup has cooked down just a bit, add the greens, and another pinch of salt and pepper (give it a taste) and puree the greens into the soup in the same manner as before.

Return to the heat, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve it up when you’re ready!

For the record, I definitely made a gooey grilled cheese to go with this soup. Granted, this totally negates the vegan-ness of the meal… but that’s definitely the point of the grilled cheese. Cheese is delicious.” -Chris

Here’s what I’m looking for in a guest blogger:

1)      In 300 words or more, share your (and/or your family’s) journey of exploring the vegan/vegetarian path. What positive benefits have you noticed since experimenting with a diet free of dairy, eggs, and or meat? Or simply share a vegan/vegetarian recipe that your family enjoyed, like my wife does.

2)      Share relevant pictures in the post. Make your story come to life by including photographs to illustrate; even if they are just from Instagram.

3)      Email your blog post and pictures to me at nickshell1983@hotmail.com.

I am excited about this new blog series. It will be a collaborative experience. I’m used to hosting the discussion about the plant-based life, but I eagerly invite you, the reader, to join me on stage.

If you already have your own blog, this could be a good way to grow your own audience, as I will obviously include the link to your blog in the post.

I look forward to hearing from you!

-Nick