

I had a request - "Mom, can you make tomato soup?" Okay - and so anyone who knows me, knows that I am not going to buy canned tomato soup because of the high sodium content. So, I bought a box of pomodoro tomatoes, without added salt. And I am definitely going to be buying more of them. I have been using them in pasta (simple pasta with sauteed garlic, tomato and basil), risotto and now soup. It was so easy to make - and so delicious. We saved seconds for tonight's dinner.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic (I buy it crushed in a tube in the produce section of the store)
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 can low-sodium chicken broth
1 box diced pomodoro tomatoes (about 2 cups - see the picture below), no added salt
1 cup water
1 tablespoon fresh chopped Italian Herbs or Basil (I buy that in a tube in the produce section too - very economical and always ready to use - see in the picture)
2 bay leaves
dash granulated garlic
black pepper to taste
Saute the garlic, onion, carrot and celery in the olive oil in a Dutch oven pan over medium heat until golden, about 2-3 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover the pan, reduce heat to simmer and simmer until the veggies are tender over low heat, about 15 minutes. Puree with hand held blender or in blender or food processor - taking care that the soup is hot and you don't want to splash it on you.
Serve hot in a bowl - we sprinkled with a bit of parmesan cheese.
Our salad had a fun mix of fresh veggies - celery, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, grated carrot, dried cherries and toasted almonds. We topped with balsamic vinegar. And we served soup, salad and open faced tuna sandwiches for dinner. All in all I spent about 20 minutes in the kitchen from start to finish - fast, delicious and healthy - and low in fat and calories, too.
Enjoy

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Art, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, 2 art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography studio where her love is creating fun recipes.
Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest in nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.