This traditional comfort food is delicious and easy to make.  Our version is also wheat- and dairy-free and sure to please everyone.

Serves: 8

Time to Table: 1 hour

Healing Nutrient Spotlight
Excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C

Ingredients*

4 T. (½ stick) butter
2 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup rice flour
3 T. tomato paste
3 T. chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried
2 14.5-ounce cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes in juice with basil
sea salt
fresh ground pepper

*Select organic ingredients for optimal nutrition.

Preparation

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat.  Add oil and onion and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.  Stir in flour and tomato paste — cook 1 minute stirring constantly.

Add basil, broth, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.  Using an immersion blender, purée soup in pot, leaving a desired amount of the tomatoes in chunks.  Or, working in several smaller batches (depending on blender capacity), purée soup in a conventional blender until smooth, and then return to pot. Season with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately, or let cool to room temperature before dividing among airtight containers (leaving 1 inch of space at the top for expansion) and freezing.

Nutrition

160 calories, 4 g protein, 13 g carbohydrates, 10 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 4 g monounsaturated fat, 1 g polyunsaturated fat, 17 mg cholesterol, 6 g sugar, 3 g fiber, 1225 IU vitamin A, .44 mg niacin, 6 mcg folate, 24 mg vitamin C, 42 mg calcium, 1.47 mg iron, 6 mg magnesium, 100 mg potassium, .27 mcg selenium, 370 mg sodium, .10 mg zinc

[Ed. Note: Laura B. LaValle, RD, LD is the director of dietetics nutrition at LaValle Metabolic Institute.   Laura and her husband, Jim LaValle, R.Ph, CCN, ND have developed the powerful and life-changing Metabolic Code Diet – containing step-by-step, easy to follow recommendations for harnessing optimal metabolic energy and turning your body’s chemical make up into a fat-burning furnace.  To learn more click here.]