Healthy Winter Soups: Tomato

TOMATOES: One of the most powerful health benefits of tomatoes is lycopene, an antioxidant which neutralizing free radicals that damage cells in the body. More and more research is proving that lycopene is a powerful inhibitor of prostate, colon, stomach, lung, breast and endometrial cancers. Tomatoes are also an excellent source of vitamins especially vitamin C, which also is a powerful antioxidant and vitamin A. The antioxidants from vitamins A and C travel through the human body and neutralize dangerous free radicals that could damage cells and cell membranes. Other benefits of tomatoes include their high amounts of vitamin K, potassium, niacin, vitamin B6 and riboflavin. These nutrients work together to lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels, maintain bone health, enhance blood-clotting abilities and reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney stones.

www.foodnetwork.com has this recipe for tomato soup and many others... I have changed the heavy cream to light cream and reduced the amount.

Ingredients
nocoupons
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped red onions (2 onions)
2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
4 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped (5 large)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves, plus julienned basil leaves, for garnish
3 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup light whipping cream
Croutons, for garnish

Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender.

Add the cream to the soup and process it through a food mill into a bowl, discarding only the dry pulp that's left. Reheat the soup over low heat just until hot and serve with julienned basil leaves and/or croutons.