Tomato Thyme Soup and Cocktail Thyme

Spring is so fun and definitely a time to indulge; however, sometimes you just want a detox recipe to reset during the week. This week's Bite n Bubbly is the perfect combination of a detox and retox all in one. This soup is largely based off of Ina Garten's Roasted Tomato-Basil Soup. It's very easy to make and so healthy! Satisfies Chrissy Teigen every week and all my vegan friends too. I recently made it for some of my sorority sisters at book club and they told me I HAD to put it on the blog. ;)

Pair it with Monique's Cocktail Thyme and you have a healthy meal balanced with a cocktail so you don't shock your body into health this week. 

Grocery List

3 lbs. ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise

¼ cup + 2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cups chopped yellow onions

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 (28 oz) can whole plum tomatoes, with juice

4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

4 cups chicken stock

Cocktail Thyme

1 shot Gin

½ shot simple syrup

2 sprigs fresh thyme

Diet Tonic/Club Soda

Optional: Splash of St. Germain

Cocktail Thyme!  The name says it all.  The fragrance of thyme and the refreshing splash of St. Germain make this cocktail feel fancy and sophisticated while taking no thyme to make at all 😊. 

Prepare: Make simple syrup. Combine water and sugar in saucepan. Bring ingredients to a boil and let boil for one minute.  Remove from heat and let cool.

In glass, combine 1 shot of Gin and the 2 sprigs of fresh thyme.  Using the back of a spoon or a muddler, muddle ingredients for about 10 seconds. Add ice, simple syrup and tonic to fill. Give the cocktail a slight stir and add a quick splash of St. Germain if desired.

Garnish: With a fresh sprig of thyme. We like serving this cocktail in a champagne glass and putting in the fresh sprig of thyme before adding the ice. 

Tomato Thyme Soup

3 lbs. ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise

¼ cup + 2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cups chopped yellow onions

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 (28 oz) can whole plum tomatoes, with juice

4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
4 cups chicken stock

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Toss the tomatoes with ¼ cup olive oil. Layer on a baking sheet in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 45 minutes.

In a large stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, butter, and red pepper flakes until onion is translucent and starts to brown, about 10 minutes.  Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Add the oven roasted tomatoes, including the juices. Bring the soup to a boil and simmer for 40 minutes, uncovered.  Adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Transfer the soup to a blender or large food processor and puree. Be careful not to puree it too much or it becomes baby food!

Add a little bit of cream if you’d like to thicken the soup J

Enjoy!