Ingredients

Makes 8 servings

Amount	Ingredient
3 T	butter
1 large	onion, diced
2 stalks	celery, diced
1	bell pepper, red, large, diced
1 tsp	garlic, minced
4 tsp	Better Than Bouillon no-chicken base
30oz	water
30oz	tomatoes, diced
¼ cup	basil, fresh
2½ T	tomato paste
1 tsp	salt + to taste
1 tsp	fresh ground black pepper
2 T	balsamic vinegar + to taste
½ tsp	MSG + to taste
½ cup	Parmesan cheese, fresh grated
½ cup	heavy cream

Process

Instant Pot

1. set Instant Pot to sauté mode, melt butter and sauté onions, celery, and bell pepper until tender
2. add garlic, cook 1 minute until fragrant
3. add the rest of the ingredients (except Parmesan and heavy cream)

Pressure: high
Time: 5 minutes
Release: quick

4. purée contents with immersion blender until smooth
5. stir in Parmesan and heavy cream, let warm through; serve hot

Stovetop

Use a heavy-bottomed pot and instead of pressure cooking in step 3, simmer until everything is tender and starts to break down.

Nutrition

Calories = 1,215 total recipe (152 per serving)

Notes

• blend less for chunky soup
• use (1) 28oz can or (2) 14 oz. cans for the tomatoes. 2 oz less than the full 30 called for in the recipe isn’t a big deal but the difference can be made up with fresh tomatoes so a third can isn’t opened unnecessarily
• a 30oz box of stock can be used instead of the BTB base + water
• a large carrot can be substituted for the red bell pepper, though the latter is tastier

See the freezing guide for tips and information on freezer-safe food storage.