Sunday Soup

 On cold Winter  weekends, when I have time to really cook, I love to make all different kinds of soup.  I used to make only chunky style soups, such as minestrone, vegetable, etc.  Over the years though, I have come to appreciate the simplicity of pureed soups.  If they are seasoned well, they can be just the right thing for a hearty lunch, or light dinner on a chilly day.



Just a few ingredients, and you have a delicious, gourmet soup!



My top three favorite pureed soups are white bean, butternut squash, and tomato.  Today I am sharing my recipe for what I like to call "Truly Italian Tomato Soup".  It's rich and creamy, and really easy to make.  My favorite time to make it is actually in Summer or early Fall, when I have an abundance of fresh tomatoes from my garden.  When I'm really thinking ahead, I throw some overripe tomaoes on a cookie sheet, freeze them, and store in a zip-lock bag.  These work perfectly for soups, stews, and sauce later in the year when garden-grown tomatoes are just a sweet memory.

For today's soup, I used canned roma tomatoes with basil and dried oregano, but in Summer, I use fresh tomatoes, with fresh basil and oregano from my garden.

These measurements can be tweaked, it won't make the soup any worse by not being exact.  If you're like me, you don't use measuring cups too much when cooking .

The addition of Mascarpone cheese at the end makes this soup really rich and creamy.  I am totally addicted to this stuff right now, it's good in pastas, cheese cake, and whipped with cream and sugar for a light dessert topping for fresh summer fruit.   If you want a lighter soup, add only half the mascarpone, you can even leave it out altogether, but it won't be quite as good.  Whipping cream or fat-free half and half can also be substituted.

Saute red onion and garlic in olive oil.



Add 2 cans whole, peeled,  roma tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, and 1 to 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth or vegetable broth if you want to keep it vegetarian..



Transfer soup to a large bowl, and puree  in blender or food processor in batches.

 I also suggest you make some of my yummy home-made croutons to go on top of your soup, you'll never buy store-bought again!  These are the same croutons I make for my home-made caesar salad.

Ingredients for croutons:  sourdough bread, fresh garlic,  Italian parsley, olive oil and butter (optional), parmesan cheese and a dash of salt (optional).

Cube the bread, add to bowl with cheese, garlic, parsley.  Melt butter, if using, and combine with olive oil.  Pour over bread and other ingredients.  Toss together well, adding more oil if bread looks dry.

Spread bread mixture on a cookie sheet, bake at 300-325 degrees for 10 minutes, remove pan and toss with metal spatula and bake for another 10 min. or so, depending on desired crispiness.

My kids visit the kitchen a whole lot when these are cooling on the stove, they are addictive!


Keep watch over these babies, otherwise they'll all be gone before your soups is done!



Truly Italian Tomato Soup

• 1 - 2 Tbs. Olive Oil
• 1 Large red onion, diced
• 2-3 Cloves fresh garlic, chopped
• 2 - 28oz. cans whole, peeled roma tomatoes w/ basil
• 1 - 1 1/2 C. Organic Chicken or Vegetable Stock/Broth
• 8 oz. container of Mascarpone Cheese
• 2 tsp. course Kosher or Sea Salt
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. dried oregano

 Saute onions and garlic in olive oil in large soup/stew pot, over med. heat.  Add both cans of tomatoes, and use a potato masher or knife to break up tomatoes into large chunks.  Add salt, pepper, oregano, and simmer for about 5 minutes.  Add chicken broth, cover, and bring to a boil.  Remove lid, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes.  Turn off heat, transfer mixture to a large bowl.  In batches (2 or 3), puree soup in blender.*   As you blend each batch, place it back into soup pot and return to a simmer.  At this point, you can add more broth if soup is too thick.  Add the mascarpone cheese and whisk in until nice and smooth.  Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste if necessary.  Top with croutons, or serve with warm bread or grilled cheese.

* Important note - be careful to cover lid of blender tightly, covering with a kitchen towel and holding lid securely while blending.  Hot soup can literally be explosive, trust me, I've had tomato soup all over my kitchen before!

 

Delicious and healthy tomato soup, yum yum!