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| it took about as long to set up the photo as it did to make the soup: in other words, Quick! |
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| Mmmm, mmm delicioso! |
Yesterday, while it was still raining, I had a craving for my favorite snack, Pacific Naturals Roasted Pepper and Tomato soup. Alas, I didn't have any. How hard can it be to whip up a creamy tomato soup, I thought? Turns out, it's not. And a very tasty one, at that.
I will give you the quick version I made. Everything that goes into it is stuff I always have in the pantry. This is a template that begs to be elaborated upon, so feel free to spice it up as you like.
Di's Super Fast Creamy Tomato Soup
1 big can of best quality crushed tomatoes in puree
(my#1 brand is Muir Glen, but the Redpack was very good too.)
1 can of cannellini beans (15oz) drained
1 can of 2% or nonfat evaporated milk (NOT sweetened condensed milk!!)
a handful of fresh basil leaves and some fresh fennel I happened to have from the garden
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp smoked paprika (essential for the smoky roasted pepper taste! Plain paprika is NOT the same)
2 dashes of nutmeg
3/4 cup+/- water with a tsp of chicken soup base dissolved into it, or chicken broth
pesto for garnish
Put condensed milk, drained beans, basil, garlic, nutmeg and paprika in blender and puree until smooth. Add half the tomatoes and puree. Pour into a saucepan, stir in rest of tomatoes, and slowly warm. (Do not boil due to the milk.) Add the chicken broth to thin the soup to desired consistency .
Serve with a dollop of pesto swirled into the soup.
It was really perfect for a cold rainy afternoon and deee-licious!
I will make it again with spice variations- Indian: garam masala and cumin, Mexican: cumin, chipotle and cilantro, Scandanavian: dill, cardamom and sour cream. Or substitute clam broth for the chicken broth and throw in some shell fish or tillapia for a hearty fish chowder.
If you have a little more time and want to develop a deeper flavor, here's what you do:
Start by sauteing a small onion, diced, in a little butter until it begins to turn golden. Add the crushed garlic, cook until transparent. Sprinkle a pinch of brown sugar and the spices (except fresh herbs) and let them become fragrant. Add the crushed tomatoes and their puree and let them gently simmer for 20 minutes or so. This deepens the velvety plushness of the tomato flavor. The resulting soup will have a mellower flavor, rather than a fresh piquant tomato taste.
Then simply follow the rest of the blender directions with the remaining ingredients, pureeing half the cooked tomato mixture. Add that to the cooked tomato onion mixture and warm as usual. (Of course, if you want a really smooth soup, puree all of the cooked tomato/onion with the beans, milk and fresh herbs.)
If you are feeling really decadent, serve with a generous swirl of cream or olive oil and accompany with a glass of wine...
Enjoy!
