Secret Ingredient Tomato Basil Soup

Enjoy a creamy, luxurious tomato basil soup without the guilt! There is no cream, sugar, or any unnecessary additives in my Tomato Basil Soup! Plus, the secret ingredient makes this soup so so good!
What you WON’T find in this homemade tomato soup is a bunch of cream or sugar.

I haven’t been able to get this creamy, luxurious, sweet, and comforting soup out of my mind for weeks. Tomatoes are in full swing this month and i’m taking advantage! I can’t wait to make tons of salads, soups, and other goodies with the best seasonal produce. There is nothing better than eating the freshest produce that’s in season. You can not only TASTE how much better the tomatoes are right now, you can FEEL it too. A tomato that’s in season will almost always feel heavier than it’s off season counterpart.

If you’ve been following LSJ since the beginning, you know i’ve done a tomato basil bisque in the past. My ashamed self is admitting to you that I had to put cream in it to make it taste as good as it did last time. In my defense, I did make that soup in March when the tomatoes weren’t quite at their best. Which meant less natural flavor and that means I needed extra herbs to help make the tomato flavor a little noticeable. But never, ever, ever again.

I can’t wait to make a big batch of this every week to have on hand for lunches and midday snackies. Yes, tomato soup is perfect with a little bit of grilled cheese when you just need a little something to nibble on. Not to mention that it’s extactly what you need if you’ve caught the summer cold that are going around! You will undoubtedly sleep like a 5 month old baby if you’ve got a belly full of this soup in you.

One thing that I forgot to mention is that not only is there a secret ingredient for this tomato soup, there is also a secret method. The thing about this soup is that LOW and SLOW is the way to GO. Massage those tomatoes, carrots, onions, and garlic with some olive oil and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper and pop them in the oven on a low heat setting for 1 hour. The slow baking process really helps develop more flavor in the tomatoes and causes that natural sweetness to come out. Instead of adding even a teaspoon of sugar to this soup, we’re getting lots of natural sweetness from the slow roasting process and the carrots that are going in to this soup.

Now, go. Use that 1 hour to it’s full advantage. Me? –>I popped in a quick Gillian Michaels workout DVD that I hadn’t done in ages and within 10 minutes I was screaming bloody murder because I couldn’t feel any of my limbs. I spent the following 50 minutes cursing Gillian under my breath and vowing to use this DVD sparingly. Home girl. I’m sure you’ve helped a lot of people, but your beginners level DVD is definitely not for BEGINNERS.

The secret to making delicious tomato basil soup or even minestrone soup is simple. And some of you are now catching on. You know my little secret and you’re sitting there smiling at the screen, thinking ‘of course!’

And…

The Secret Ingredient is…

BASIL PESTO!

How many of your guessed it? That super concentrated flavor of basil pesto really makes this soup NEXT LEVEL STUFF. The pine nuts from the pesto add such nice depth and creaminess that you’ll forget about adding that heavy cream or half and half in and opt for this more flavorful/ healthier option instead.

The parmesan also adds just the right amount of cheesiness to the soup without overpowering it.

This tomato basil soup is exactly what you need to cure that end of summer cold. And it’s perfect to take us right into the fall season! Imagine a chilly evening complete with a warm blankie, comforting tomato basil soup, and a grilled cheese sandwich to dip, dunk and munch on. For the colder months, the grilled cheese is a MUST. For summer, I served this soup with cheesy toasts. It’s just a bit of provolone on a slice of baguette with a pinch of salt, garlic powder, and a bit of Italian seasoning.

So simple and SO YUMMY.

Secret Ingredient Tomato Basil Soup

Prep Time :10 mins
Cook Time:1 hour 10 mins
Total Time:1 hour 20 mins
Enjoy a creamy, luxurious tomato basil soup without the guilt! There is no cream, sugar, or any unnecessary additives in my Tomato Basil Soup! Plus, the secret ingredient makes this soup so so good!

Ingredients:

•     1 lb. cherry tomatoes
•     2 lbs. Roma tomatoes cut in half
•     1 medium onion, cut into chunks
•     7 garlic cloves
•     3 large carrots, cut in half
•     ⅓ cup olive oil
•     salt and pepper
•     4 cups vegetables broth (or chicken broth)
•     2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
•     ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
•     2-3 tablespoons basil pesto

Read More : Secret Ingredient Tomato Basil Soup

Skillet Shrimp and Asparagus

Hello friends! I know many of you come here looking for something you can quickly and easily make, and tastes great. Something perhaps for a weeknight dinner when you have maybe only 30 minutes to cook, and even less to clean up afterwards?

Here’s a shrimp and asparagus skillet recipe that scores high on all points. It only takes half an hour start to finish, and only uses one pan. And the taste? Wow! I was really surprised by this one.

First you sauté onions and garlic, then add diced new potatoes with a little water, cover and let cook for a few minutes until the potatoes are almost cooked through. Then you add asparagus, cook a minute more, then shrimp with some lemon juice and zest.

The juices from everything cooking create the most lovely glaze. You have protein from the shrimp, green vegetable from the asparagus, and starch from the potatoes making a complete one pot meal.
If you wanted to, you could skip the potatoes and toss the shrimp and asparagus sauté in with pasta. You could also spice it up a bit with some chili pepper flakes. Enjoy!

Skillet Shrimp and Asparagus Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil


• 1 Tbsp butter


• 1 medium onion, quartered, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)


• 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 4 teaspoons)


• 1/2 pound small red skinned new potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices or small dice


• Salt (to taste)


• Pinch of black pepper


• 1/2 cup water


• 3/4 pound of asparagus, woody ends discarded, spears thinly sliced on the diagonal


• 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp (can leave tails on for presentation if you want), 16-20 count


• 1 teaspoon lemon zest


• 1 Tbsp lemon juice


• 2 Tbsp minced chives or green onion greens

Read More: Skillet Shrimp and Asparagus

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BAKED PARMESAN ZUCCHINI FRIES

Your new favorite way to eat zucchini! These Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries are loaded with flavor and baked to golden perfection! The perfect way to use up your summer bounty!

So excited to be sharing this amazing recipe for Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries with you today! The heat is on! I am not a huge fan of the heat here in Sacramento, never have been. On days when the temp exceeds 100, you can find me blasting the AC and sitting under a ceiling fan trying keep cool. Fortunately, we almost always get a nice breeze as evening sets in and it helps to cool down the house.

What I do love about the heat however is the way it makes my garden grow. I can literally see several inches of growth each day on our tomato and zucchini plants – they really do seem to love the heat! The zucchini does get a nice amount of afternoon shade which I think helps as well.

Every summer, I usually end up with way more tomatoes and zucchini that I can handle…and my neighbors love it. While I can’t hand you a basket full of veggies, I’m excited to share this recipe with you today. We have been enjoying our zucchini in every way imaginable but these Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries are really something special.

I breaded the zucchini with a mixture of Panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and some seasonings. I deviated from the traditional F-E-B (flour-egg-breading) process skipping the flour because I wanted the fries to be lighter. You are more than welcome to coat the zucchini strips in flour before dipping into the egg wash though. It will give you a thicker coating.

Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries

Prep time :5 mins
Cook time :22 mins
Total time :27 mins

Your new favorite way to eat zucchini! These Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries are loaded with flavor and baked to golden perfection! The perfect way to use up your summer bounty!

Recipe type: Side
Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 medium zucchini
• ½ cup all purpose flour (optional)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ¼ tsp paprika
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp Italian seasoning

Read more : BAKED PARMESAN ZUCCHINI FRIES

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Chick-fil-A Cole Slaw

You didn’t ask for it.

You’re not paying for it.

And there is a really good chance it’s going to end up in the trash at the end of your meal.
But the coleslaw from Chick-fil-A is different. It’s delicious.

You need to order it as a side dish. It’s optional. You choose it and pay for it!

Sadly, though, they made an announcement and as of this week it is no longer available.

Fortunately, the kind people over at Chick-fil-A (seriously, no joke, they are so kind) have given the world their recipe.

So I made, and loved it, and it tastes just like the original (well, I guess it IS the original). And thought I would share it with you in case you love coleslaw as much as I do! Here it is. in all it’s original glory.

Well, kinda original. The recipe calls for two bags of shredded cabbage and 1/4 cup shredded carrots. I bought shredded coleslaw mix instead (1. my grocery store didn’t sell shredded cabbage and 2. I wasn’t about to hand shred…I mean, c’mon now).

The flavor of this coleslaw is perfect. Not too sweet, not too vinegary…it’s JUST RIGHT. Try it. You’ll see.

Chick-fil-A Cole Slaw

Yield: serves 6-8

Prep Time: 5 minutes, plus 2 hour chill time

Ingredients:

•     1 cup mayonnaise
•     4 tsp white vinegar
•     1/4 cup granulated sugar
•     1/4 tsp dry mustard
•     1/4 tsp kosher salt
•     2 bags (14 oz each) shredded cole slaw mix

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Ham Salad

One of the best reasons to serve a ham for a holiday dinner or family gathering is the prospect of leftover ham, don’t you think? Ham keeps well and can be used for a hearty ham and bean soup, a pasta dish with peas, or for a crowed pleasing ham salad.
It’s one of those feed-a-lot-of-people comfort food salads that makes you look forward to leftovers.
Put it in a sandwich (or a slider bun!), eat it plain, or add it to macaroni. The basic components of our favorite ham salad are ground or finely diced ham, sweet pickle relish (sweet works better than dill for ham, imho), and hard boiled eggs. Then something for crunch (celery and/or bell peppers) and mayo to bind it.
Add a little mustard and lemon juice to brighten the flavors, and maybe a touch of cayenne as a nod to deviled ham or eggs.
Do you have a twist on ham salad that you enjoy? Please let us know about it in the comments!

Ham Salad Recipe

To make ground ham, chop leftover ham into cubes and either pulse in a food processor or put through a meat grinder.

Ingredients

• 2 cups finely diced or ground ham (about 3/4 pound)


• 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped


• 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish


• 1/4 cup mayonnaise


• 2 Tbsp minced green onion


• 2 Tbsp minced celery


• 2 Tbsp minced red bell pepper


• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley


• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard


• 1 Tbsp lemon juice


• A large pinch of cayenne (optional)


• Salt and black pepper to taste

Read More: Ham Salad

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Baked Sweet Potato Donuts with Dark Chocolate + Coconut

Just the other day I was dreaming about donuts again and then I realized that I’ve had these beauties in my drafts since last October. Yep, over 6 months ago.

Memory issues? Perhaps. Or maybe I just had too many other delicious things to post back then. I’ll really never know, I’m just sorry these didn’t come sooner because THEY ARE SO DAMN GOOD.

Here’s the lowdown. Since I had the recipe and photos waiting in the drafts, I had completely forgotten about how amazing they were and so (of course) had to make them again. There’s no stopping me when it comes to the big wide world of donuts. Or peanut butter, but that’s a different story.

Before we get into the details of these amazing sweet potato donuts, I need to mention that you’ll need a donut pan to make these. If you don’t have one, the real question is: what are you waiting for? They’re inexpensive and most baked donut recipes are done in roughly 15 minutes! Donuts truly make the most wonderful homemade brunch accompaniment with a pot of coffee and a giant pitcher of mimosa.

Don’t judge me.

Not many people serve donuts at brunches these days. Or maybe it’s just the people I know? #sideeye

These are the kind you dunk in a steaming hot cup of coffee or foamy almond milk cappuccino. They’re hearty, yet still have a light and tender interior which makes you forget about the fact that they’re baked instead of fried.

The ingredients used in this recipe are also worth a quick mention…

Whole wheat flour provides a wonderful source of whole grains so you really can’t feel too terrible about enjoying one (or two!). 

They’re also dairy free! I actually just realized that most of my recipes are, so tell all your DF friends to come say hi.

They’re naturally sweetened.

They only take less than 30 minutes to make.

Okay, that’s enough talking. It’s time to go make donuts people. Get to it!

Baked Sweet Potato Donuts with Dark Chocolate + Coconut

Nutrition Information

• Serving size: 1 donut with chocolate glaze and coconut


• Calories: 251


• Fat: 13.3g


• Carbohydrates: 32.4g


• Sugar: 15g


• Fiber: 4.3g


• Protein: 4.5g

Prep time:  15 mins
Cook time:  15 mins
Total time:  30 mins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour


• 1 teaspoon baking powder


• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon


• 1/8 teaspoon salt


• 1/2 cup cooked mashed sweet potato (from 1 medium to large sweet potato)


• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup or coconut nectar


• 1 large egg


• 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled (olive oil also works well)


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract


• 2.5 oz 72% dark chocolate


• 1/3 cup coconut flakes

Read More: Baked Sweet Potato Donuts with Dark Chocolate + Coconut

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Asparagus Artichoke Breakfast Casserole

Looking for Easter or Mother’s Day Sunday brunch ideas? I love the convenience of a breakfast casserole because you can easily assemble it the night before and have it ready to bake in the morning.
Perfect hands-off cooking leaving you time for the important things, like Easter egg hunts, or Mother’s Day mimosas.
This breakfast casserole (the fancier term being “strata”) has asparagus (fresh) and artichoke hearts (canned), big cubes of rustic bread, bacon, onions, all held together with eggs, milk, and cheddar cheese.
It’s spring in an 8×13!

Asparagus Artichoke Breakfast Casserole Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 cups of 1 to 1 1/2-inch cubed rustic bread (about half a loaf), or 6 slices of bread


• 2 ounces bacon (2 to 3 thick-cut slices), roughly chopped


• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)


• 1 pound of asparagus, trimmed of tough bottoms, spears sliced on the diagonal, in 1-inch long pieces


• 1 15-ounce can of artichoke hearts (packed in water), drained, chopped


• 2 Tbsp minced chives or green onion greens


• 6 eggs


• 2 cups milk


• 8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated


• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt


• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Read More: Asparagus Artichoke Breakfast Casserole

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