Cottage Cheese Tomato Soup Recipe – Easy Creamy Healthy Soup
Ingredients
For the Tomato Soup
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil.
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced.
- 3 cloves garlic, minced.
- 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes, with juices.
- 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth.
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning.
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil.
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste.
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar, optional.
- 1 cup full-fat or low-fat cottage cheese.
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, optional.
Optional Toppings
- Fresh basil leaves.
- Cracked black pepper.
- Grated Parmesan cheese.
- Red pepper flakes.
- A small drizzle of olive oil.
- Homemade croutons.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Cottage cheese: Use full-fat, low-fat, or 2% cottage cheese. Full-fat cottage cheese creates the creamiest texture.
- Vegetable broth: Chicken broth can be used if you do not need the soup to be vegetarian.
- Diced tomatoes: Crushed tomatoes can be substituted for a smoother soup.
- Fresh garlic: Use 1 teaspoon garlic powder if needed, although fresh garlic provides better flavor.
- Italian seasoning: Substitute with a combination of dried oregano and basil.
- Parmesan: Nutritional yeast can be used for a dairy-free-style savory topping, although the soup itself will still contain cottage cheese.
Equipment Needed
- Large soup pot or Dutch oven.
- Cutting board.
- Chef’s knife.
- Measuring cups.
- Measuring spoons.
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula.
- Immersion blender.
- Ladle.
- Small bowl, if blending cottage cheese separately.
- Soup bowls for serving.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the vegetables
Dice the onion and mince the garlic before you begin cooking.
Keeping the ingredients prepared ahead of time makes the cooking process much easier and helps prevent the garlic from burning while you are chopping other ingredients.
Step 2: Saute the onion
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, about 350°F on an electric cooktop.
Add the diced onion and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
The onion is ready when it becomes soft, translucent, and lightly golden around the edges.
Do not rush this step. Properly softened onion creates a sweeter, deeper flavor in the finished soup.
Step 3: Add the garlic and seasonings
Add the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, dried basil, black pepper, and salt.
Cook for about 30 to 60 seconds, stirring constantly.
You should smell the garlic and herbs, but the garlic should not become dark brown.
Burning garlic can make the entire soup taste bitter. If the garlic starts browning quickly, immediately reduce the heat.
Step 4: Add the tomatoes and broth
Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices and 3 cups vegetable broth.
Stir everything together and scrape the bottom of the pot with your spoon to loosen any flavorful browned bits.
Bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
Step 5: Simmer the soup
Reduce the heat to low and let the soup simmer uncovered for approximately 15 minutes.
The tomatoes should become very soft, and the flavors should come together.
Give the soup an occasional stir while it cooks.
The soup should look slightly thicker and the onion pieces should be completely tender.
Step 6: Blend until smooth
Turn off the heat.
Use an immersion blender to carefully blend the soup directly in the pot until smooth and creamy.
Blend for 1 to 2 minutes, or until you no longer see large pieces of tomato or onion.
For a slightly rustic soup, blend it less and leave a few small pieces of tomato.
Step 7: Add the cottage cheese
Add 1 cup cottage cheese to the blended soup.
Blend again until the cottage cheese is completely incorporated and the soup looks creamy.
If you want an especially smooth texture, you can blend the cottage cheese separately for 20 to 30 seconds before adding it to the soup.
Avoid boiling the soup aggressively after adding the cottage cheese. Gentle reheating helps maintain a smooth texture.
Step 8: Taste and adjust
Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning.
Add more salt if needed. If your tomatoes taste particularly acidic, add the optional 1/2 teaspoon sugar.
For more richness, stir in the optional Parmesan cheese.
Step 9: Serve hot
Ladle the Cottage Cheese Tomato Soup into bowls.
Top with fresh basil, Parmesan, cracked black pepper, red pepper flakes, or a few homemade croutons.
Serve immediately while warm.
Nutrition Facts
Cost To Make This Recipe
Item – Estimated Cost (USD).
Olive oil – $0.25.
Yellow onion – $0.75.
Garlic – $0.30.
Diced tomatoes – $2.50.
Vegetable broth – $2.00.
Italian seasoning – $0.15.
Dried basil – $0.10.
Salt & black pepper – $0.05.
Cottage cheese – $2.50.
Parmesan cheese – $0.50.
Estimated Total Recipe Cost
Approximately $9.10 USD.
Estimated Cost Per Serving
Approximately $2.28 USD per serving.
