As we move towards the end of summer, I am loving the bounty of the summer fruits and vegetables. No fruit says summer more to me than tomatoes. I love that you can have a single bush on your back porch and be overwhelmed with yummy goodness. As well as being tasty, tomatoes also offer a wealth of health benefits.
They are a rich source of the antioxidant lycopene which is important for bone and eye health. Bright, fresh tomatoes and tomato extracts have also been shown to be important for heart health because they help lower LDL, cholesterol, and triglycerides. Their antioxidants have been found to reduce the risk of prostate, breast, pancreatic and lung cancer. Diets that include tomatoes have also been linked with reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease in multiple studies. One tomato provides 40% of your daily need for Vitamin C, an important antioxidant and their Vitamin A improves vision, as well as prevents night-blindness and macular degeneration. Tomatoes also are a rich source of fiber which helps maintain regularity. These are just a few of the many health benefits of these multi-colored fruits.
When shopping for tomatoes look for ones that are brightest, deepest colors you can find. Tomatoes of all colors have amazing health benefits so enjoy. I have included a recipe for Homemade Roasted Soup below.
- Roughly two lbs of tomatoes
- Roughly 2 cups of broth (I used bone broth but veggie or chicken broth would also work.)
- 1 onion
- 7 cloves of garlic
- Olive oil
- Dried Italian herb blend
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut up onions, tomatoes and garlic.
- Place on roasting pan.
- Drizzle with olive oil
- Sprinkle with Italian herbs and salt and pepper.
- Place in the oven and roast for approximately 30 minutes .
- Remove from the oven when tomatoes are wilted and soft. (You can even let them brown a bit.)
- Place tomatoes, onions and garlic in a pot on the stove.
- Add broth.
- Let cook about 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
- Using an immersion blender, puree the tomatoes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix in a little finely chopped fresh basil.
- Serve and enjoy!
