Classic Dairy-Free Cream of Tomato and Basil Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon gluten-free all purpose baking flour
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 (15 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk
• Sea salt to taste
• Fresh basil for garnish

Directions

Heat coconut oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion in hot coconut oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir tomato paste and garlic with the onion; cook and stir until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes more.

Sprinkle flour over the onion mixture and stir to incorporate; add vegetable broth, crushed tomatoes, chopped basil, lemon juice, maple syrup, and bay leaf. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook at a simmer until the tomatoes are completely softened, about 20 minutes.

Turn heat below pot off. Remove and discard bay leaf. Pour soup into a blender. Hold lid in place and pulse blender a few times to get mixture moving before leaving on to blend into a puree; pour pureed soup into the pot and place over medium-low heat.

Stir coconut milk into pureed soup until the color is consistent; heat until the soup is warmed. Season soup with sea salt and garnish with fresh basil sprigs.