Winter Cream of Tomato Soup

Roasted • Creamy • Low Sodium • Low GI/GL

This is a modern, grown-up cream of tomato soup is deeply comforting, velvety, and nostalgic, without relying on heavy cream, flour, or excess salt. Roasted low-sodium tomatoes and winter vegetables deliver natural sweetness and umami, while beans replace the traditional roux for creaminess, fibre, and metabolic stability. Finished with a touch of half-and-half and olive oil, it’s the kind of soup you crave on a cold winter and feel good eating.

Why this soup works (and why it’s different)

• Roasting > sugar: Caramelized veg build sweetness naturally
• Beans > flour: Creamy body, higher fibre, lower glycemic load
• Healthy fats: Olive oil + modest dairy slow glucose absorption
• Low sodium by design: Flavour comes from technique, not salt

This is comfort food that respects your metabolism.

Ingredients (makes 2 litres)

• 2 × 796 mL low-sodium canned whole tomatoes, strained reserve juices

• 1 large yellow onion, rough-chopped
• 3 medium carrots, rough-chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, rough-chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed

• 1 full can butter beans or navy beans (540 mL / ~19 oz), drained and very well rinsed
• ½ cup 10% half-and-half (see note below)
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp white pepper
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• Small pinch nutmeg
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 3 cups low-sodium vegetable stock

• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Method

1. ROAST Heat oven to 425°F / 220°C.
2. Strain the tomatoes, squeeze them to get all the juice out. Reserve the juice separately.
3. On a large roasting tray, toss strained tomatoes, onion, carrots, red pepper, and garlic with olive oil, smoked paprika, thyme, white pepper, and nutmeg.
4. Roast 40–45 minutes, turning once, until vegetables are soft with caramelized edges and tomatoes are jammy. They should be browned significantly and have some crispy edges.
5. SIMMER: Transfer roasted vegetables to a pot.
6. Add beans, vegetable stock and reserved tomato juice from strained tomatoes. 
7. Bring soup to a gentle simmer for 30-45 minutes until reduced by at least 25%.
8. BLEND Using an immersion blender (stick blender) blend until completely smooth and silky. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can also transfer to a regular blender but use caution, let it cool slightly, its hot!
9. Stir in half-and-half
10. Finish with a splash of vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning—often no additional salt is needed.

Serving Suggestions

• Drizzle with olive oil and crack fresh black pepper
• Pair with half a grilled sourdough cheese or rye toast with sharp Canadian cheddar

Nutrition Snapshot (approx. per batch, 2 litres)

• Calories: ~240–270
• Protein: 9–11 g
• Fibre: 9–10 g
• Glycemic load: Low–moderate (balanced by fat, fibre, protein, and acidity)
• Sodium: Naturally low (brand-dependent)

Storage

• Keeps 5-7 days refrigerated
• Freezes well (add cream after reheating if preferred)