Vegan Creamy Tomato Basil Sauce/Soup

One of my friends recently decided to become vegan and so I have been learning all kinds of new vegan recipes. There was one in particular that she and I made together, where we made a creamy pesto soup by using cauliflower as the cream. The base of that recipe worked out very well, so much so that I decided to recreate that recipe but to make a tomato basil sauce instead. The sauce I created was so good that I would make it again and eat it all by itself as a soup. This is a great way for those who are lactose intolerant or vegan to enjoy a creamy sauce and/or soup without any regret.

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small head cauliflower (about a pound), leaves removed, cut into florettes
4 cups chicken broth, divided (or vegetable broth for vegans)
1 16 oz can of chopped tomatoes (fresh tomatoes work too, I used canned because that is what I had)
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
Lots of fresh black pepper
1 cup loosely packed basil leaves, plus a little extra for garnish

Directions:
1. Preheat a 4 quart stock pot over medium heat. Saute garlic in olive oil for about a minute, being careful not to let it burn.
2. Add cauliflower and chicken broth, canned tomatoes, garlic salt, Italian seasoning and several dashes of fresh black pepper. Cover pot and bring to a boil, stirring every now and again for about 10 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender.

 

3. Lower heat a bit so that the soup is at a slow boil. Add the basil leaves, and remove from heat. Use a submersion blender to puree until smooth (if you don’t have a submersion blender then use a blender or food processor to puree in batches, being careful to lift the lid once in awhile so that the steam doesn’t build up and explode). Taste for salt and seasoning.
4. Return to stove and bring to a slight boil to reheat. Serve hot as a soup with fresh basil garnish or pair with your choice of pasta (I served mine with grilled zucchini and angel hair pasta). Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Post Punk Kitchen