Classic Tomato Soup

I only started making soup a few years ago, before that it was Campbell’s. Yup, from a can, now I wouldn’t dream of it. The funny thing is, growing up both my parents were big soup eaters but my Mom never made it from scratch. I guess making dinner for 10 people every night was all the cooking she wanted to do, and in our house soup was eaten for lunch not dinner. Campbell’s tomato soup was a favorite and of course with a grilled cheese sandwich. My Dad always got creative with his, adding leftover rice, noodles or even chopped up hotdogs.

 

Now that I make my own soup I really wanted to re-create that smooth, tasty flavor of my childhood favorite. I began searching for recipes and realized that many seemed to be watered down versions of marinara or grandma’s Sunday gravy with basil and oregano. They had an Italian flavor profile, but I wanted a classic flavor, so I went to work on my own recipe and here it is…and it is exactly what I wanted! I hope you enjoy it. I figured we could all use a good recipe for comfort food during this difficult time.

And in a nod to my Dad feel free to add in rice, noodles, shredded cheese, croutons and even chopped up hot dogs if you dare!

Ingredients:

1 28 oz can of San Marzano tomatoes

1 qt vegetable broth

2 Tbs olive oil

2 carrots, peeled, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp thyme

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat, add onions, celery and carrots. Sauté until the onion is soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, salt and pepper; sauté for just 2 or 3 minutes more.

Add vegetable broth and tomatoes. I like to chop the tomatoes up a bit once they are in the pot. Stir to combine. Bring soup up to a boil then turn down to simmer and cook for 1 1/2 hours.

Turn off heat. Using and immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth.

If you don’t have an immersion blender, do what I do, use a blender. Add to blender in batches and put each blended batch into a large sauce pan. Be careful not to fill the blender too much and hold the cover tight so it doesn’t explode from the heat. Adjust seasoning at this point, adding more salt and pepper if needed.

Heat up over low flame for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Garnish with freshly ground pepper.

Peace and good eats. Stay safe and be well.

A Lemony Transition to Spring Soup

As much as we are craving Spring, it’s just not here yet; there is snow on the ground and it’s cold. Now today was beautiful and sunny, it did get up to 42 degrees, but that’s not exactly Spring. During the winter months we eat a lot of soups and stews which I love but I’m ready for lighter and brighter foods, so I went on the hunt for soup that was just that, and I found it! Thanks to the blog Cup of Jo I found the perfect recipe for a soup that warms the body but is light and bright; a Lemony Soup with White Beans and Kale.

This soup is delicious, especially since I changed it up a bit to make it mine. I used spinach since I’m not a fan of kale and I used orzo instead of Ditilini pasta (not a big deal but that’s what I had in the house). I also used canned beans instead of dry, the last time I tried to use dried beans I ended up with cement not soup…something I need to work on.

 

I think that other than the fact that this soup tastes so good, is that it is souper easy to make; the flavors of the lemon and garlic are just so good together and it comes together in less than hour.

Ingredients

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbs olive oil

1 small potato, peeled and chopped into small cubes

6 to 8 cups vegetable stock

1 lemon, juiced

1 cup orzo pasta, cooked

2 cups fresh spinach

Salt and pepper

Directions

In a large dutch oven or pot add olive oil and heat over medium heat, add onions and potato. Stir and cook until onions are translucent then add garlic. Cook for another minute or two until garlic is fragrant. Add 6 cups of the vegetable stock, lemon juice and beans. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat till boiling then reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft.

While the soup is simmering cook the pasta. I like to cook the pasta and add it to each bowl as I serve it, otherwise I feel like it gets to mushy and soaks up the liquid. So cook it and put it aside to add as you serve.

Once you feel the potatoes are done, add the spinach. At this point add more stock if you think it needs it, it’s up to you how “brothy” you like it. I did use all 8 cups.

When it’s ready serve with grated parmesan cheese, drizzle of olive oil and some freshly grated black pepper. Mangia!

Now if you want to, which I may do the next time I make it, is to leave out the potato and add a second can of beans. And of course if you want to keep it vegan, no cheese. One more suggestion for the gluten-free folks, keep the potato and omit the pasta. Once again one of the reasons I love cooking is that you can always make it your own, there are no rules. So keep on cooking and keep on enjoying!

Souper Easy Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup

Now that soup weather is finally here I decided to make tomato soup. Growing up we always had Campbell’s and I always loved it but now that I rarely eat anything processed or pre-made I thought it was time I grew up and made my own tomato soup. I found a super easy recipe and it tasted great.

As far as what kind of tomatoes to use, you can really use any kind. I did a mixture of Roma and Compari. The recipe called for white onion, not sure I’d use that again, I think I’ll try a Spanish onion the next time I make it. Not crazy about the white onion flavor.

Ingredients:

6 cups tomatoes, chopped

1 white onion, chopped

Salt

5 or 6 garlic cloves, peeled

2 large red peppers

Red pepper flakes, optional, to taste

2 tsp red wine vinegar

2 tsp olive oil, plus more for roasting

To do:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss tomatoes and onions in olive oil, spread evenly on baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. You may need 2 baking sheets, you don’t want them too close together.

Peel garlic and place on tin foil, drizzle with olive oil, fold tin foil and secure edges, place in oven.

Roast everything for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping tomatoes and onions half way through.

 

After removing the tomatoes and garlic from the oven, roast the red peppers under the broiler. Turn on the broiler, place red peppers whole on baking sheet. Put under broiler on the highest rack so they are close to the flames. Roast about 2 to 3 minutes each side turning as they get charred.

Once they are well charred, remove and place in a bowl, cover bowl tightly to allow the steam to loosen the skin. At least 5 minutes. Remove the skins, just be careful, they are hot. You can leave some of the char as it adds a nice flavor to the soup.

Once the peppers are peeled; cut, core and remove seeds.

In batches add tomatoes, onions, red peppers, vinegar and olive oil to a blender, only till the blender is half full. Blend until smooth.

 

As you blend each batch, put the blended batch in a pot over low heat, once it is all blended and in the pot you can taste and adjust the seasoning. You may need to add more salt or red wine vinegar for a little more tang.

Serve with a loaf of rustic bread and enjoy!

 

Tuscan Inspired Vegetable Soup

We recently took a vacation to Italy; we went to Rome, Tuscany and Florence. All of which were beautiful but I have to say that Tuscany is absolutely breath taking! The scenery, the food, the wine and the people were all wonderful.

When we left it was still summer, now it is definitely fall. And soup season has only just begun, so with that in mind after scouring several recipes I came up with my own Tuscan inspired vegetable soup. While in Tuscany we took a cooking class, it was so much fun! There were 2 other couples in the class from New Jersey, what are the odds?! The one thing that I learned in the class that was eye opening is that the chef didn’t use white onions or Spanish onions in anything, only red. He said that they only use red onions because they are sweeter and don’t have the bitterness that the others can have. Huh, who would have guessed. So in this recipe I used red onion, normally I would have used a Spanish onion for sure.

One other thing about this recipe is that I used pink beans, most Italian soups with beans call for cannellini beans but I did’t have any and certainly didn’t feel like going to the grocery store…again.

Ingredients:

3 Tbs olive oil

4 carrots, peeled and sliced

4 celery stalks, sliced

1 red onion, diced

1 zucchini, sliced then cut the slices into halves

3 cloves, garlic, minced

1 tsp dried oregano

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried basil

3 Tbs tomato paste

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

6 cups vegetable stock

2 cups spinach

salt and pepper to taste

8 oz. elbow macaroni cooked and drained

Directions:

Heat a large heavy-bottomed stock pot or Dutch oven over medium low heat, add olive oil. When oil is heated add onions, celery and carrots. Slowly cook vegetables, stirring every few minutes until they begin to soften, about 15 minutes. Stir in garlic, basil, oregano and zucchini; cook for 5 minutes more.

Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, bay leaf and stock to pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes more. In the meantime cook the pasta according to package instructions, drain and set aside.

After the soup has been simmering for 20 minutes add spinach and cook for 3 or 4 minutes more. Remove from heat.

I like to add the pasta as I eat the soup otherwise in my opinion the pasta sops up the liquid and the soup gets gloppy.

Add some pasta to a bowl, pour desired amount soup over pasta and serve with parmesan cheese and crusty Italian bread. And of course a nice glass of red wine doesn’t hurt!

* Photographed on Patio Fashions Chambray tablecloth with Patio Fashions Chambray napkins*

 

SaveSave

SaveSave

Vegetable Soup Mexican Style

Two things I love combined together to make something really great and tasty-Mexican food and soup. It is souper easy, tastes souper and it is vegan! It has lots of healthy vegetables and plenty of flavor, my husband ate 3 bowls of it, that says it all.

Ingredients:

1 tbs olive oil

3 bell peppers-1 green, 1 red, 1 yellow-all seeded and diced

1/2 red onion, diced

1 jalapeño, seeded and diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbs cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes

2 (4 oz) cans mild diced green chili peppers

8 cups vegetable broth (I used 6, it would’t all fit in my pot and it was fine)

1 can corn, drained

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 zucchini, diced

salt to taste

Suggest serving it with:

lime juice, fresh squeezed

avocado

cilantro

tortilla strips

chopped scallions

shredded cheese

sour cream

Directions:

Heat oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add diced bell peppers, red onion, jalapeño and a bit of salt. Cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add minced garlic and spices-cumin, oregano and cayenne pepper. Stir and cook for another minute.

Add diced tomatoes, green chilies and vegetable broth. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add beans, corn and zucchini. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes until zucchini is tender. Add more salt to taste if needed (mine did).

Soup is ready to eat! Ole!

*Recipe courtesy of Show Me the Yummy blog.

**Obviously adding sour cream or cheese makes this dish non-vegan.

 

It’s National Soup Month

Who knew?! I had no idea until I saw a post on Instagram the other day that January is National Soup Month. And how appropriate. It is cold and dreary, perfect for a hot, yummy bowl of soup. So to honor Soup Month here is one of my husbands favorite soups that I make, Manhattan Clam Chowder.

The original version is not vegetarian so I modified it by using olive oil instead of bacon.

2 Tbs olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 small red pepper, diced

1 carrot, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

4 garlic cloves,minced

1 tsp oregano

1/2 cup dry white wine

3-8 oz bottles of clam juice

5-61/2 oz cans chopped clams, juice drained and reserved

1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4″ dice

1 bay leaf

1-28 oz can diced tomatoes

salt and pepper

2 Tbs fresh, chopped parsley

In a large pot or Dutch oven heat the olive oil on medium heat and add onion, red pepper, carrot and celery. Reduce heat to low and cover, cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and oregano and saute for 1 minute.

Add wine and increase heat to high, boil until it reduces by half, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the 3 bottles of clam juice, reserved canned clam juices, potatoes and bay leaf. Bring to boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer till potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Using a wooden spoon smash some of the potatoes against the side of the pot, then simmer for 5 more minutes.

Add diced tomatoes, bring back to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add clams. Turn off the heat, add salt and pepper to taste and add parsley.

Serve and enjoy!

 

 

One Last Soup before Spring…

So, I sit here writing this on the first day of Spring and it is snowing out. When will it end? Hopefully soon but until it does, let’s eat soup. This recipe is a copy cat recipe of Olive Garden’s famous Pasta e Fagioli, meaning “pasta and beans”, it is traditionally a meatless Italian dish however this recipe adds ground beef but I stuck with tradition and left the meat out, which makes this a great meal for meatless Mondays. This is easy, healthy and makes a great meal, definitely give a whirl!

Pasta e Fagioli with shaved parmesan cheese-buon appetito!

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef* (I omitted)

2 tbsp olive oil (if not using meat)

1 small onion

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced

28oz can crushed tomatoes

15oz can tomato sauce

15oz can beef broth (vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian)**you may want more depending on how you like it

15oz can kidney beans (with liquid)

15oz can great northern beans (with liquid)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp pepper

8oz ditalini pasta

*with the salt, pepper and dried herbs-increase or decrease depending on taste

Heat olive oil large dutch oven or pot, add carrots, celery, onion and sauté for about 10 minutes then add minced garlic. Saute for a few more minutes until garlic becomes fragrant.

Add remaining ingredients, except the pasta and simmer for 1 hour.

You may want to add more broth at this point depending on how you like it.

About 15 minutes before the hour is up, boil water for pasta and cook pasta for 10 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Now, a tip from a friend is: to not add the pasta to the soup…add it as you eat it so that it doesn’t blow up in the soup and absorb all the liquid. This was great advice. I kept mine in storage container and added as we ate it. Serve with shaved parmesan cheese and warm, crusty bread; delicious!

*If you would like to do the meat version the first thing you do is cook the ground beef until browned, drain the grease. Set browned ground beef aside and cook veggies as above in same pot, when veggies are ready, add ground beef back into pot and follow the recipe from there. Enjoy!