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- "Something
Different"
- Tomato
Soup Good for Body and Soul
- BY
DANA JACOBI FOR THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH
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Inhaling
the aroma of a steaming bowl of canned tomato soup, while gazing
at its velvety orange-red color, recalls for many people comforting
childhood memories. In fact, tomato soup ranks high on the list
of American comfort foods.
It
warms our psyches as much as our bodies, and has the natural
sweetness of tomatoes - which are, as everyone by now knows,
a fruit. |
Old-Fashioned
Tomato Soup |
One
of the greatest culinary challenges is achieving a home-made
version of favorite comfort foods. Mother's recipe for chocolate
chip cookies, for example, is better than any commercial brand
- and a lot more healthful. Similarly, I enjoy the challenge
of creating a tastier and more healthful tomato soup in my own
kitchen.
Unfortunately,
food manufacturers rely mostly on salt and sweeteners to provide
flavor - relatively cheap additions for the producer, but often
high in health risks for the consumer. Happily, it is not difficult
or time-consuming to make tomato soup at home that is low in
sodium but still offers a satisfying flavor.
There
are smart, healthful ways to add flavor to foods without adding
unnecessary calories or excessive sodium levels. Onion, garlic,
herbs and spices, for example, add valuable nutrients, and the
phytochemicals that help protect us from serious chronic diseases,
as well as rich and robust flavor.
So make good on your New Year's resolution to eat more healthful
foods, and give yourself an added treat: enticing aromas that
fill the kitchen and the satisfying flavor of homemade tomato
soup.
This
classic tomato soup uses just enough butter and fat-free cream
to ensure rich creaminess, and a very modest amount of sugar
to bring out the natural sweetness and flavor of tomatoes.
Old-Fashioned
Tomato Soup - Makes
4 servings.
- 1
Tbsp. butter
- 1
onion, finely chopped
- 2
large garlic cloves, chopped
- 1
can (28-oz.) diced tomatoes
- 1
Tbsp. sugar
- 1
tsp. dried thyme
- 1/8
tsp. ground mace
- Pinch
of cayenne pepper
- 1/2
cup fat-free half-and-half cream
- Salt
and freshly ground black pepper
- 3
Tbsp. snipped dill, for garnish (optional)
Melt
the butter in a small Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sauté
the onion until translucent, 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté
until the onions are golden, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes
with their juices, the sugar, thyme, mace and cayenne. Bring
to a boil, cover, and simmer the soup until the tomatoes and
onion are soft, about 15 minutes.
Let
the soup sit 20 minutes, uncovered. Transfer it to a blender
(or use an immersion blender) and reduce the mixture to a purée,
either pulpy or completely smooth, as desired. Blend in the half-and-half.
Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve
the soup hot, sprinkling one-fourth of the dill over each bowl,
if using.
Per serving: 105 calories, 3 g. total fat (2 g. saturated fat),
18 g. carbohydrate, 3 g. protein, less than 1 g. dietary fiber,
586 mg. sodium.
_______________________________________
"Something
Different" is written for the American Institute for Cancer
Research (AICR) by Dana Jacobi, author of The Joy of Soy and
recipe creator for AICR's Stopping Cancer Before It Starts.
AICR offers a Nutrition Hotline (1-800-843-8114) 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. ET Monday-Friday. This free service allows you to ask a
registered dietitian questions about diet, nutrition and cancer.
AICR is the only major cancer charity focused exclusively on
the link between diet, nutrition and cancer. It provides a range
of education programs that help Americans learn to make changes
for lower cancer risk. AICR also supports innovative research
in cancer prevention and treatment at universities, hospitals
and research centers across the U.S. It has provided more than
$70 million for research in diet, nutrition and cancer. AIC R's
Web address is www.aicr.org.
AICR is a member of the World Cancer Research Fund International.
_______________________________________
RECIPE POSTED
FEBRUARY 06, 2006
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