Last fall I froze 25 pounds of luscious B.C.tomatoes picked at their peak! In the dead of winter, there is nothing more comforting than a steamy bowl of tomato soup made from these summer beauties! If you don’t have frozen tomatoes on hand, 3 large cans of whole tomatoes will do however; it won’t be quite as tasty. Frozen heirloom tomatoes can often be found through our local Farm Box. To freeze ripe tomatoes, simply pop them into freezer bags. To use, fill your sink with hot water. Pop the frozen tomatoes into the hot water for a few minutes until the skins loosen. Peel the skins off of the tomatoes before using. Hempseed Parmesan is a cheesy tasting, protein boosting, condiment that is good on pretty much everything from popcorn, to salads, or steamed veggies.
The soup:
serves 4
- 7 large (fist size or bigger) frozen tomatoes
- 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 cup raw cashews pureed with 1 cup of water until very smooth
- 28 g. of fresh basil (1 pkg.)
- 1 tbsp. himalayan salt
- 1 tbsp. honey or maple syrup
Fill your sink with hot water. Place the frozen tomatoes into the hot water for 5 min.
Peel off the skins and discard.
Heat olive oil in a medium sized saucepan. Saute onion until translucent. Add garlic and tomatoes. Stir over medium heat until the tomatoes have completely thawed and look soupy.
Puree the 1/2 cup of cashews with 1 cup of water in a high speed blender until smooth. Add the cashew cream to the soup along with all but a few leaves of the basil (for garnish). Puree in several batches until smooth and creamy. Return to the pot. Add the honey or maple syrup and salt to taste.
Serve topped with Hemp Parmesan and chopped basil.
Hemp Parmesan:
- 1 cup of hemp seeds
- 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp. himalayan pink salt
Combine all ingredients in a blender or a food processor until it resembles parmesan cheese. (The kind you buy in the grocery store in a cardboard can) Store in a mason jar in the fridge.