Soup really is good food just like the Campbell’s jingle says. Yes, soup out of a can is fine sometimes but who needs a canned soup when we’ve got really easy recipes like this Tomato Bisque. It’s quick and taste soooo much better! I was looking for a tomato soup that didn’t require fresh tomatoes for two reasons: 1) because most grocery store tomatoes are just down right sad and tasteless, and 2) because canned tomatoes speed up the preparation process. I decided to try this recipe because it had the added bonus of the cheese toasts. Cheese & toast? Sign me up!

This recipe took very little prep…just dicing an onion, mincing some garlic and opening a can each of crushed tomatoes and chicken broth. Okay, so I also had to walk out to my garden to get a few sprigs of fresh thyme but I don’t really count that as work since it was a beautiful Autumn day and I was happy to get a little fresh air. I was skeptical about the use of honey in the soup so I started out with just about a tablespoon. I mixed it in then added another tablespoon; mixed it in then added the last tablespoon. I wasn’t using measuring spoons…just squeezing the bottle and approximating tablespoons. The point is to start out with a little and add until you’re happy with the taste. I thought the honey softened the acidity of the tomatoes. This is an easy soup to double or triple, and you can make it vegetarian by substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

Now on to the cheese toasts. One word…YUMM! For the bread I chose a freshly-baked sourdough baguette that I cut into diagonal slices. The slight amount of tangy Dijon mustard on the toasted bread mixed with the sharpness of the cheeses was delicious! I had to make myself stop eating them and share some with Husband (he loved them, too). This recipe for tomato soup and cheese toasts only serves two but it could easily be doubled or tripled to make a larger quantity.

Tomato Bisque & Cheese Toasts
Recipe courtesy Abigail Johnson Dodge – Fine Cooking magazine
Serves two.

For the bisque:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 hearty sprigs fresh thyme
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes in purée
1-1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
3 Tbs. honey
1-1/2 tsp. coarse salt; more to taste
1/4 tsp. finely ground black pepper; more to taste
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)

For the toasts:
4 slices country bread, about 1/2 inch thick
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
4 to 6 slices Gruyère
1 Tbs. grated Parmesan

In a medium pot, heat the oil. Add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until tender and lightly browned on the edges, about 7 min. Add the garlic and thyme; stir until fragrant, about 1 min. Add the tomatoes, broth, honey, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until reduced by a quarter and thickened, about 15 min. Using a stand or immersion blender, purée about half the soup; it will be still be chunky and thick. Return it to the pot and stir in the cream. Heat gently and adjust the seasonings. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with the parsley if using, and serve immediately.

Arrange an oven rack to the highest rung and heat the broiler on high. Line a baking sheet with foil. Put the bread on the foil and toast each side until golden brown. Spread the mustard evenly on one side of each toast, cover with the Gruyère, and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Slide the toasts back under the broiler and cook until bubbling and lightly browned on top, about 2 min. Cut each toast in half and serve immediately with the soup.

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Tags: cheese toast, Soup/Stew, tomato

I frequently make soups and stews throughout the Autumn and Winter months. I love a steaming bowl of hot soup when it’s cold outside. In fact, I think soup is one of the ultimate comfort foods! I found this recipe for Tortellini Soup with Carrots, Peas & Leeks in one of my Fine Cooking magazines. I made a few slight changes but nothing that altered the finished soup significantly. I decided to use a medium-size onion (chopped) instead of the leeks because that’s what I had on hand. I wanted more veggies in the soup so I chopped 2 whole carrots and 1 stalk of celery, and added a bit more butter for sauteeing because I added more veggies. I let the veggies simmer for about 10 minutes longer than the recipe stated before adding the tortellini because the garlic I used was too pungent and needed to cook a bit longer. The package of cheese tortellini I used was 10 ounces so I added a cup or so more broth to the pot so the soup wouldn’t get too thick. For a heartier version, it’s also really good with Italian sausage. Just brown the sausage in a pan and add it to the soup pot when you add the broth. It’s a perfect weeknight meal in minutes!

Tortellini Soup with Carrots, Peas & Leeks
by Joanne Smart – Fine Cooking magazine
Serves four.

2 medium leeks (12 oz. untrimmed)
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (about 1 Tbs.)
1/2 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced (2 Tbs.)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5 cups low-salt canned chicken broth
8 oz. frozen cheese tortellini
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano

Trim the roots and dark green leaves from the leeks. Slice the white and light green part in half lengthwise and then slice the halves thinly crosswise. Rinse well and drain.

Melt the butter in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, leeks, and carrot. Season with a couple pinches of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. (It’s fine if the vegetables brown lightly.) Stir in 1/4 tsp. pepper and cook for about 20 seconds, then add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the peas. Continue to simmer until the tortellini are cooked, 3 to 5 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Portion the soup into warm bowls, top each with some of the cheese, and serve.

Make Ahead Tips:
You can make most of the soup ahead, but don’t add the tortellini until you’re ready to eat or they’ll become mushy.

Tags: carrots, Soup/Stew, tortellini

Carrots. We all know they’re orange, good for you and bunnies like ‘em. They’re also loaded with vitamins that help prevent cancer and promote good vision (especially night vision). I read on wikipedia.com that the world’s largest carrot was grown in Alaska in 1998; it weighed 19 pounds. Good grief…that’s quite a carrot!

Speaking of carrots, I discovered this recipe for Roasted Carrot Soup a few years ago when I was researching soup recipes. The color of the soup is a vibrant orange and makes quite a visual statement. Roasting the carrots is easy and it gives the soup a rich flavor. I usually omit the fresh ginger, although I’m sure it’s good with it. One time I accidentally left the carrots in the oven too long and they got a little burnt on the bottom. I remedied the situation by cutting the scorched part off each carrot and proceeded with the recipe (using a little less broth to account for a little less carrot being used).

It’s an easy recipe to double…just make sure that the carrots are in a single layer when roasting (and you may need to increase the roasting time a bit). You could easily make this a vegetarian soup by using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.  If puréeing the soup when it’s hot, hold your blender lid down tightly with a kitchen towel like the recipe suggests. I sprayed myself and my kitchen once with hot carrot soup because I wasn’t holding the blender lid firmly enough. Yes, it was as exciting as it sounds. Letting the soup cool before blending or using a hand-held blender (immersion blender) makes this task easier.

Roasted Carrot Soup
by Ruth Lively – Fine Cooking Magazine
 
A tablespoon of ginger gives a nice, throat-warming heat to this soup, which tastes best if it sits in the fridge several hours or overnight.
Serves four. Yields about 1 quart.

1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch lengths
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/2 medium onion, cut into medium dice (to yield about 3/4 cup)
1 large rib celery, cut into medium dice (to yield about 1/2  cup)
1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger (from about 1/2-inch piece, peeled)
2 cups homemade or low-salt chicken broth
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. ground white pepper
Chopped fresh chives or chervil for garnish (optional)

Heat the oven to 375°F. Put the carrots in a medium baking dish (11×7-inch is a good size, or any dish that will hold the carrots in a single layer without touching) and drizzle them with the olive oil. Toss them to coat well and roast, stirring once halfway through roasting, until they’re tender, blistered, and lightly browned in a few places, about 1 hour.

Melt the butter in a medium (at least 3-quart) heavy saucepan set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it’s translucent and fragrant, 2 to 3 min. Stir in the celery and ginger and cook until the celery softens a bit and the onions start to brown, 4 to 5 min. Add the roasted carrots, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low, and cover. Cook at a lively simmer until the carrots are very tender, about 45 min. Turn off the heat and let the liquid cool somewhat (or completely).

Purée the soup in a blender in batches, never filling the blender more than a third full, and bearing down firmly on the towel-covered lid so the soup doesn’t come flying out. If serving immediately, return the soup to the pot and reheat; garnish with the chives or chervil if you like. Otherwise, refrigerate for up to five days; reheat gently and taste for salt before serving.

Tags: carrots, Soup/Stew