This Crockpot Creamy Tomato Soup with Chipotle Peppers is the perfect way it take advantage of all the amazing summer tomatoes on the market. It's sweet from the tomatoes, spicy from the chipotle peppers, and creamy from the cream cheese. Pair it with a Healthy Kale Caesar or Portobello Mushroom Burger for an easy weeknight meal.
Lately, all I have been talking about is how much I love this warmer weather: barbecues, sandy toes, slushy drinks…you name a warm-weather cliche, I am excited to make it a reality. Two exceptions though: schedules and soup.
Two words that seemingly have no business being grouped together, yet here they are. Schedules because as much as I love the freedom of summer, if I am being real, I love having a more set routine. Although some people are heading back to school and routines, we are still over 3 weeks away. And soup for nostalgic reasons. Comforting reasons. I just love soup and the warmth that it brings on a cold day, or any day really.
I can't help it — sometimes there is nothing better than a big bowl of warm, feel-good soup on a chilly day. I am already bummed about saying goodbye to soup for the next few months because hot soup on a hot day just isn't as satisfying.
So, I opted for one last hurrah, making this Creamy Chipotle Tomato Soup recipe, which is a simple twist on a classic. Creamy tomato soup is spiked with chipotle peppers and cream cheese for a rich, spicy take on the tomato soup you grew up with. My advice? Make up a big batch ASAP and enjoy before it’s truly too hot for soup. And as for bathing suits? Well, we'll tackle that issue another time.
How do you make Slow Cooker Tomato Soup?
Making this soup is a cinch. After getting out my slow cooker and setting it up, I first cooked my veggies through a little bit on the stovetop. This just gives them a boost to breaking down so they don't end up crunchy in your soup. After the veggies cook down a bit, I add in the garlic and chipotle and cook those alongside the carrots, celery, and onions.
From there, I added everything that I sauteed to the slow cooker, along with the tomatoes, broth, and spices. I top it all with the lid and set it to cook for four hours on low. When it's all cooked through, I use an immersion blender to blend it all up smoothly right in the crock. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can blend it up in batches in a blender. (Make sure to leave the lid vented so the steam can evaporate.) After it's blended, I add the dairy products — cream cheese and milk — and allow these ingredients to come together with the tomatoes and spices by letting them all cook for another 30 min.
Give it another good stir, portion it out, salt and pepper to taste and dive in.
How can I make vegan Chipotle Tomato Soup?
If you'd like to make a vegan version of this soup, follow the steps below as directed, except when it comes time to add the cream cheese and milk, instead add a can of coconut milk or non-dairy milk and a quarter cup of your favorite non-dairy yogurt after you've blended your base. Allow this to cook about 15 minutes longer in your slow cooker before serving. You might want to give it all one last blend or good long stir to incorporate all the ingredients.
What makes this Crockpot Tomato Soup healthy?
This soup is so, so very healthy. Made with tons of good-for-you-ingredients, and a variety of them at that.
- Olive oil is a heart-healthy oil that goes great on just about everything. The oil contains omega-6 and omega-3, monounsaturated fatty acids. It also is a great source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatories.
- If you love a good, healthy, crunchy veggie, then celery is for you! Full of enzymes and antioxidants your body needs to function at its best, celery is also a great source of folate, vitamins B6, C, and K, and potassium.
- Carrots are not only great for your eyesight (thanks to its plentiful amounts of beta-carotene), but it also can help prevent certain kinds of cancers, can help control diabetes and heart disease, and acts as a great immune-system booster.
- Onions are a low-calorie, zero-fat food that contains calcium, folate, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, and antioxidants, among other things. They're also great for your blood pressure, help ward off cancer, and make tons of foods super tasty!
- Garlic is known for its ability to boost the flavor of just about anything it's cooked with and has tremendous antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It can also help fight off bacteria and boost your immune system.
- Chipotle peppers offer a surprising amount of benefits for your mind and body, including keeping cancer at bay, reducing your blood pressure and your risk of heart disease, help you lose weight and speed up your metabolism, and can help you breathe better.
- Tomatoes are a key source of lycopene, which is an antioxidant that can help reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer and is also a fabulous source of folate, vitamins K and C, and potassium. Plus, they taste delicious!
- Vegetable broth is a great source of vitamins and minerals, depending on which vegetables you use or are used in making the broth. It is also low in fat and calories and is a great ingredient to use in soups, stews, and other dishes to add more flavor than water alone.
- Spices such a bay leaves, oregano, coriander, and cumin add tons of flavor without adding calories or fat. Many spices have anti-inflammatory properties which help your joints and muscles function at their best.
- Reduced fat cream cheese and nonfat milk are both low-fat, and low-calorie alternatives to the high-fat dairy products that dishes sometimes call for. They are also good sources of calcium, protein, and vitamin D.