April Tafoya is a healthy lifestyle blogger who stopped by to make the following recipe and teach us about healthy swaps you can make in your cooking.
• This soup is loaded with five different veggies pureed together. The flavors meld beautifully and taste hearty and smooth; just like tomato soup.
• The soup base is very versatile. I like adding cheese tortellini and chicken sausage into mine to make a complete meal.
• The soup base is freezer-friendly and kids love it, too (great way to get kids to eat more veggies!)
• On my blog, I share weekly meal prep recipes and food inspiration to help people get better nutrition in their everyday lives.
• I made a guide called, "Healthy Swaps That Don't Suck." Just like this tomato soup recipe, I've included about 20 of clever food swaps and additions to help you get more fiber (micronutrients), protein (to keep you full), and water (to stay hydrated).
• The website to get my free guide is fuelingfunction.com/swaps.
Tomato Sauce Base
1 box vegetable broth
2 cans fire-roasted tomatoes
1 1/2 cups milk (dairy or non-dairy)
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
2 zucchini
1/2 onion
3 cloves garlic
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp dried or fresh chopped basil
1 tsp salt (taste and add more as needed)
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tbsp butter
Other Ingredients
1 package fresh refrigerated tortellini
6 Italian-seasoned chicken sausages (cut into pieces)
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instant Pot Method
Chop onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and zucchini into bite-size pieces. They will be pureed later, it doesn't need to be perfect.
Press SAUTE and add butter. Let it melt in the base, then add all chopped vegetables. Stir occasionally and allow veggies to saute for 4-5 minutes.
Once soft and fragrant, add vegetable broth, crushed tomatoes, milk, and all seasonings. Stir to combine.
Turn off SAUTE. Secure the Instant Pot lid and make sure the steam release valve is locked (up position).
Cook on MANUAL HIGH PRESSURE for 16 minutes.
Once time's up, release the steam and remove the lid. Fish out the bay leaves and discard them. Use an immersion blender or work in batches with a standard blender to blend all ingredients into a smooth sauce.
From here, press SAUTE again and add tortellini, chicken sausage, and any other preferred mix-ins. My husband loves shrimp in here! Let the soup simmer for 10 minutes.
IF MEAL PREPPING: Transfer soup to meal prep dishes (that seal) and allow them to cool slightly. Sprinkle a pinch of parmesan cheese onto each serving, if desired.
