Chilled Healthy Tomato and Yogurt Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion chopped
3 carrots peeled and cut into a large dice
4 cups diced and seeded fresh or canned tomatoes diced and not drained
2 tablespoons honey
4 cups vegetable stock
15 sprigs each of thyme and tarragon divided
Peel of one orange in one large piece
2 cups plain nonfat Greek yogurt plus additional for garnish
1 teaspoon salt
Basil for garnish

Instructions

In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute the chopped onion and the carrots until the onion is translucent. Add the tomatoes (no need to peel them if you are using fresh), honey, vegetable stock, half of the herbs, tied together with kitchen twine and the orange peel.
Cook the tomatoes in the stock for 20 minutes over medium heat. Set the pot aside to cool completely. Remove the herbs and orange peel when the soup is cool and discard.
When the mixture is cool, ladle 2 cups of it into a blender or Vitamix. Add 1 cup of yogurt and blend the mixture until it is completely smooth. Pour the blended mixture into a storage container and repeat the process with the remaining tomatoes, yogurt and the salt. Add the leaves of the remaining fresh herbs, finely chopped, reserving just a few for garnishing the bowls.
Place the storage container in the refrigerator overnight so the flavors will blend. Pour the tomato yogurt soup into individual bowls or mugs, garnishing them with the remaining herbs and a swirl of yogurt.

Recipe Notes

This soup can be made with fresh or canned tomatoes. If using fresh tomatoes there is no need to peel them but they should be seeded to avoid bitterness.

You can substitute basil and rosemary for the thyme and tarragon or you can use any combination of those fresh herbs.

The soup can be made two days ahead. Just make sure to stir it well and taste for salt before serving and garnish with thinly sliced basil, thyme leaves or minced tarragon.