We all have our comfort foods, the ones we reach for when disaster strikes, when sorrow is on the rise, when we’re lonely, or just when the weather turns wet and cold. Mine is and always will be tomato soup. I can eat it anytime and anywhere. It doesn’t matter if it’s the middle of winter or the hottest day of a blistering summer in the deserts of Southern Utah, I will forever want a good cup of tomato soup when I need comfort.
Why? It reminds me of huddling in the downstairs bathroom during tornado warnings when I lived in Louisiana. It was scary, but also a time we came together as a family. We would curl up in blankets inside the bathtub and play card games by candlelight as my dad warmed tomato soup on a little gas stove and we’d shiver together at the wind that set our old home to creaking. Good times. Seriously, these are some of my favorite memories.
So I turn to tomato soup often. It used to be just from a can. Then I started adding a dash of Italian herbs and granulated garlic, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve learned to make my own versions of my comfort food and make them healthier. I know I’m very lucky to have a fairly healthy comfort food to begin with, but I know I’m not the only one who thinks fondly of warm tomato soup. Make it your comfort food. I’m going to share my most recent version, as it is always evolving as my taste changes and my desire to be healthier grows. Get a good dose of lycopene, vitamin A, and some good antioxidants along with plenty of soul warming comfort.
