Tomato Soup (Soy, Fish, Wheat, Nut and Egg-Free, Can Be Milk-Free)

This is an altered recipe of one that my sister-in-law pointed me to from Foodie With Family.  I contacted the blog/websites author and asked her if I could use her recipes on my blog with any needed allergen-friendly substitutions (if applicable), and she so graciously said that I could (giving her proper credit of course). :)  I highly recommend her site in that a lot of her recipes fit the "natural and free" guidelines or can easily be adapted to be so.  Besides all of that, (as my sister-in-law says and I wholeheartedly agree) she is an amazing cook and her recipes are fantastic!  Thanks again, Rebecca, for trusting me with your amazing recipes! :)

Please note that this recipe is soy (if you use all soy-free ingredients), fish, wheat, nut and egg-free, and can be milk-free.

Tomato Soup

48 oz. tomato puree (I recommend Classico)

3 3/4 Cups plus 1/4 Cup (4 Cups total) water

1 teaspoon salt

up to 3/4 teaspoon garlic (fresh, dehydrated or powder) (optional)

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

pinch of Italian seasoning (I recommend McCormick's Perfect Pinch Italian Seasoning)

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

heavy whipping cream, half and half or milk (whole preferred) (optional)

1. Mix tomato puree, 3 3/4 Cup water, salt, garlic (if using), celery salt and Italian seasoning in a large soup pot and bring to a simmer. (You will find that most tomato purees, like Classico, come in cans that are over 24 oz. each, giving you extra puree.  You can go ahead and use the 2 full cans in the soup without consequence so you don't have leftover puree, or you can eyeball the 48 oz. and save the rest of the puree for another time.)

2. In a separate, small bowl mix the cornstarch and 1/4 Cup water until smooth.

3. Stir starch mixture into the tomato mixture and simmer until desired thickness.

4. Serve as is or add a dollop of the cream, half and half or milk to each bowl of soup and stir in before serving.

This soup is by far the best tomato soup I've ever had.  The Italian seasoning gives it just a hint of that wonderful Italian flavor that so many love without making the soup taste like you're eating spaghetti sauce instead of soup.  My kids (who can be picky when it comes to soup) love it, including my 2 year old!

Substitutions/Notes:

• Milk and Garlic-Free: Though I strongly recommend the addition of the cream/milk (cream is by far better, but milk works in a pinch) and the use of the garlic, the soup is great without either if you have issues with garlic or are allergic to milk. 
• Corn-Free: If you have a corn allergy but not a wheat allergy, you can substitute flour for the cornstarch. 
• Corn and Wheat-Free: I have not tried it, but a gluten-free flour should work to thicken the soup if you have trouble with wheat and corn.  You could try making the soup without the cornstarch/flour entirely, and I'm sure it would still be delicious, just not as thick.
  
  
  

  (This recipe was originally posted on my original site, Natural and Free.)