Toasted Oats & Tomato Soup

I have yet another recipe for you all! This one is as "comfort food" as soup could possibly get, and I'm pretty excited to have another recipe to add to the menu! 

Each cook of the house knows what a pain it is to reach "Make the Weekly Menu" day. All the energy drains from my body when I have completed the menu list and my fridge is empty. It's not so much the shopping or actual cooking process, it's the menu!! I hate coming up with meals. Although my husband is absolutely thrilled to eat anything I make (after 5+ years of nothing but the DFAC ~ the dining facility on post, everything tastes gourmet to him), I don't want to feed him the same 7 meals over and over. 

So there I was once again, sitting on the floor with a mess of cookbooks scattered around me. I had a hankering for soup, something to fit the brisk fall weather of the week. Unfortunately, every soup in 99% of my cookbooks required 29 different ingredients. I don't have the budget or the resources to accomplish such a soup! And then...I saw it. The perfect recipe for the cool weather: Toasted Oats & Tomato Soup. 

Bless Jillian Michaels and her "Master Your Metabolism" cookbook and healthy ways. I could actually eat this meal without the guilt of high sodium levels or white flour noodles. And it's delicious! And filling! It leaves you warm, cozy and happy. 

Here you go!

Toasted Oats & Tomato Soup

This soup is the quintessential comfort food: the warm, familiar flavor and texture of toasted oats complements the tangy tomatoes (use canned if ripe tomatoes are not in season), and the whole thing comes together in minutes.

Serves 4

1 cup rolled oats (not instant)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped red onion

3 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon seeded and minced fresh chile

1 pound ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped, or 1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes with juice

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, toast the oats over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they are lightly browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Transfer the oats to a bowl and set aside. 

2. Return the pan to medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and chile and cook for 1 minute more. Add the oats and stir to coat them with oil. Add the tomatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in the salt and pepper. Spoon into four bowls and serve.

*Tips*

*I didn't have garlic on hand (who am I kidding? I hate garlic - I chose to skip it) and it tasted delicious without it. For all you garlic lovers, have at it.

*Don't fret when you put the broth in and it looks like a bunch of tomato chunks floating in liquid. Yes, it looks like the worst soup ever to be made. Just wait, after it boils and simmers, it blends wonderfully.

*Speaking of simmering, I let it simmer for probably 20 minutes, not 10. It was as creamy as could be! 

*I also added a few dashes of dried oregano and basil, as well as onion powder. My staple seasonings. It definitely added a nice kick to it. 


Calories: 240.8 kcal
Fat: 10.5g
Protein: 9.5g
Carbs: 27.0g
Sodium: 376.4mg



Bon Appétit!