Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup Your Heart Will Love

Warm, velvety, and bursting with slow-roasted flavour, Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup is a bowl of comfort that your heart will love. This nourishing recipe blends roasted cherry tomatoes, garlic and onion with chicken stock, creamy coconut milk, and a touch of ricotta cheese for a balanced, mellow soup that’s not too acidic and naturally low in sodium. Every spoonful is packed with nutrients and antioxidants that support cardiovascular health in menopause. In this stage of life, you might see changes in cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and an increase in body fat distribution that could put you at an increased risk for heart disease. So, let’s cook strategically to show your heart some love.

Heart-healthy ingredients in this tomato soup

Cherry tomatoes | Roasted to perfection, cherry tomatoes are slightly sweeter than the larger variety. Tomatoes are rich in fibre, vitamin C, iron, and protective antioxidants called lycopene, that benefit cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

Fresh garlic | Whole cloves are roasted in their skins until they get soft and sweet, giving this soup the benefits of garlic without a pungent taste. A key component of garlic is allicin, which helps to expand blood vessels, lowers blood pressure, and “bad” LDL cholesterol

Onion | Roasted onion is added to this soup for flavour, but this vegetable has many cardiovascular benefits. Onions contain sulfur compounds that help to reduce blood clots, lower blood cholesterol, blood pressure, and inflammation.

Olive oil | Just a few tablespoons is added to the roasting tomatoes and comes with benefits. Olive oil is considered a healthy fat that is anti-inflammatory, can raise “good” HDL cholesterol, and is packed with protective antioxidants.

Thyme | This herb is a source of potassium that helps to lower blood pressure. It is rich in antioxidants and iron, which improves blood circulation. Thyme is loaded with vitamins and minerals that are considered vital to health.

Chicken broth | Low, or sodium-free, chicken broth adds protein and flavour to this tomato soup, plus heart-healthy minerals magnesium and potassium. For an extra nutritional boost, try a chicken bone broth in place of chicken stock.

Coconut milk | Canned coconut milk contains protective antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. It can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by decreasing LDL and increasing HDL cholesterol. It is rich in minerals that act as electrolytes, fibre, and vitamins.

Ricotta cheese | Add a silky creaminess to this tomato soup, plus protein. Ricotta cheese is an excellent source of calcium for bones, potassium and magnesium to help regulate blood pressure.

How to make it

Equipment you will need

• Blender or immersion blender
• 1/2 baking sheet and parchment paper
• Measuring cups and spoons

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F and line a 1/2 baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Spread the whole cherry tomatoes, whole garlic cloves in their skins, and roughly chopped onion the baking sheet. Coat with a few tablespoons of good olive oil and roast for 30 minutes
3. Add the roasted tomatoes, onion, and garlic (remove the skins now) to the blender, along with the chicken broth, coconut milk and ricotta cheese. Blend on high for 1 minute until creamy. Adjust the taste with sea salt and pepper, as desired
4. Garnish with chives, black pepper and red pepper flakes (optional) and serve with a salad, sandwich, or grilled cheese