Traditional Dairy-Free Tomato Basil Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon gluten-free all purpose baking flour
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 (15 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk
• sea salt to taste
• fresh basil for garnish

Step 1

Warm the coconut oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Once it's hot, add the chopped onion and cook it until it softens, which usually takes about 5 minutes. Next, stir in the tomato paste and garlic, cooking for another couple of minutes until the garlic smells amazing.

Step 2

Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture and give it a good stir to combine everything. Then, pour in the vegetable broth along with the crushed tomatoes, chopped basil, lemon juice, maple syrup, and toss in a bay leaf. Bring everything to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Let it cook for about 20 minutes, until the tomatoes have completely softened.

Step 3

When the soup is ready, turn off the heat and fish out the bay leaf. Carefully transfer the soup to a blender. Start by pulsing a few times to get things moving, then blend until smooth. Pour the pureed soup back into the pot and warm it over medium-low heat.

Step 4

Finally, stir in the coconut milk until the soup looks creamy and well mixed. Heat it through, season with sea salt to taste, and serve with a few fresh basil leaves on top for a nice touch.