Sometimes You Just Need A Little Comfort Food

This week seems like it has been dragging.  We were on a cruise this past weekend until Monday so I didn't work that day, but somehow my 4 day week seems like it has been 14 days.  Then of course being out of town, I have yet to go grocery shopping so it has been pretty bare in our fridge this week.  We've been piecing together meals with what we have, due completely to my lack of motivation to go to the store.  Today all I wanted to eat was something comforting.  Soup to me always does the trick.  Never mind that it was 85 degrees out today, I was determined to make a yummy soup out of stuff I already had in my cabinets.


In my pre-plant based days I loved this boxed roasted red pepper and tomato soup from Trader Joe's.  We probably ate it 3 nights a week.  Unfortunately it contains milk in it so it is no longer a staple in my household.  I got the idea this afternoon to make my own, I have roasted red peppers and I have canned tomatoes so why not?  You can of course make your own peppers and tomatoes but who wants to do that after being at work for 9 hours...not me.


I did want something yummy to top the soup with and decided to make my own croutons.  Of course we are out of bread, so I did stop in the French Market on my way to the train and picked up some whole grain sourdough bread and some fresh basil (because I can).  The bread is great b/c it has like 3 ingredients, flour, water & salt or something ridiculously easy like that.  


So I just started throwing together things I had and stumbled upon a hit with us. Dan even thought it was the Trader Joe's soup!  And for very few calories, you get big flavor and a filling soup, not to mention that it's so pretty.  


Vegan Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup with Pesto Croutons

1/2 yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
1 jar roasted red peppers, drained
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup vegetable broth (and a little extra for sautéing)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
6 ounces silken tofu
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp oregano
dash of red pepper flakes
pesto croutons(recipe below)


In a medium sized pot over medium heat, add onions, garlic, bay leaf, and a splash of veggie broth.  Sauté until onions become translucent.  Add in the remaining ingredients (except croutons and tofu) and simmer for 10 minutes.  


Remove the bay leaf and add the tofu.  With a hand blender or a real blender, puree the soup until it has a smooth consistency.  Taste the soup for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish with croutons, fresh basil and green onions.  




Pesto Croutons
2-3 slices bread, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup veggie broth
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)


Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.  In a food processor combine garlic, basil, broth, salt and nutritional yeast until completely combined.  Toss the pesto with the bread pieces until they are coated.  Place on a baking pan covered in parchment paper.  Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes, turning every so often until the croutons are crispy.  You can also do this in a toaster oven if you like.  


VeHere's what they look like before getting toasted, you will need to stop yourself from just eating them as is...

This dinner was exactly what we needed this week!  What kinds of foods do you find comforting when the work week is seeming a bit too long?