Tomato Soup on “Meatless Monday”

I love all kinds of tomato soups, even the kind in the can!   Smooth and creamy tomato soup is fast and easy to make.  This soup can be “accessorized” with garnishes like my cheese bread croutons, creme fraiche, or even some baked bacon bits with chopped hard boiled eggs.  This is a versatile soup, it can be eaten piping hot or at room temperature.  Any way you like to eat your Tomato Soup,  here is a good, easy recipe to try.  Let’s Cook!

Tomato Soup

• Servings: 4-6
• Difficulty: easy
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A fast, easy recipe for an all time favorite soup

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Ingredients

2 large cans, 12 oz plum tomatoes with juices (note, I used San Marzano)

4 carrots, peeled and chopped

4 celery stalks chopped

2 sweet onions

1 small red onion

4 garlic cloves

2 tsp  sugar

2 cups water

2 tbls extra virgin olive oil

small piece of fresh hot pepper (optional)

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

thyme sprigs to taste

Sea salt course grain and fresh ground pepper to taste

heavy cream (optional)

Directions

-In a medium size soup pot, add the olive oil, garlic, and chopped onions, lightly brown the garlic with the onions stirring, careful not to burn the garlic. (If adding heat add in the hot pepper here).

-Add the chopped carrots, celery and the plum tomatoes with their juices.

-Add the water, sugar, salt, pepper, basil and thyme

-Stir together, allow to simmer for at least 35-40 until all the vegetables (carrots and celery) are soft

-Using an immersion blender, or regular blender (in batches) blend until creamy and smooth

-Adjust salt

-If adding heavy cream stir in now

-Serve plain with Savory Cheese Bread croutons,  creme fraiche,  bacon and hardboiled egg or just with a sprig of fresh thyme

Buon Appetito!!

Mickey

 

 

 

 

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“Meatless Monday…Mixed bean, Leek, Carrot and Celery Soup with Baby Pasta

After a fun filled weekend of eating and drinking, its nice to enjoy a comforting soup that is filled with vegetables and protein.  This Bean Leek Soup is the perfect meal for a light and healthy  “Meatless Monday” lunch or dinner.

Mixed Bean, Leek, Carrot and Celery Soup with Baby Pasta

• Servings: 6-8
• Time: 60 min
• Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

2 large leeks cut lengthwise in half and chopped

2 cups chopped celery

3 cups chopped carrots

2 cloves of garlic chopped

2 Tbls extra virgin olive oil

1/2 mild hot pepper

6 cups of vegetable broth

2 cups of Cranberry or Pinto Beans canned, drained

2 cups of Cannellini Beans canned, drained (note….this is a rare exception  using canned beans, try to use  high quality beans)

3 Tbls chopped fresh mixed herbs, thyme, basil and flat leaf parsley

1/2 lb small pasta i.e. Ditalini Rigati

Parmesan Cheese to taste

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions

-Add olive oil, garlic and hot pepper lightly brown

-Add leeks, stirring into the garlic mixture, saute leeks until they start to soften and the flavors meld

-When the leeks soften add the celery and carrots

Add Both beans, sea salt to taste and fresh ground pepper

Add the broth and mixed herbs

-Bring mixture to boil, lower heat and simmer (low boil) for at least 45 minutes

-Bring a small pot of water to boil, add pasta and cook al dente…. at least 1 minute less than time indicated. (note- I do not boil the pasta in the soup broth since it will absorb the liquid ) Drain the pasta

-Remove 3 cups of the soup mixture and place in a mixing bowl, with an immersion blender, blend mixture until smooth and creamy

-Pour blended mixture back into the soup pot

-Add the pasta to the Soup

-Serve hot or tepid with Parmesan Cheese

Buon Appetito!!

Mickey

 

 

Meatless Monday….Greens and Beans Soup with Garlic Bread Croutons

If you grew up in an Italian American home, you probably have eaten or are  familiar with “Greens and Beans”.  The greens, escarole or Swisschard  are cooked in a garlicky oil mixed with white beans.  I have taken this dish one step further making it into a soup, topping it with a garlic Parmesan crouton. It is a filling flavorful soup for lunch or dinner on a Meatless Monday!!

Greens and Beans Soup with Garlic Parmesan Croutons

• Servings: 4-6
• Difficulty: easy
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A soupy version of a favorite, Green’s and Beans

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs a of cleaned chopped Swisschard or Escarole

4 cups Cannellini Beans ( not dried)

1 hot pepper chopped (note- peppers have different heat this is to taste)

2 tbls extra virgin olive oil

4 scallions finely diced

2 garlic cloves finely diced

6 cups of vegetable broth

sea salt

pepper

For the bread

1 loaf  of crusty bread Italian

2 cloves of crushed garlic

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tbls fresh flat leaf parsley chopped

3/4-1 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

-In a soup pot, add the olive oil, garlic, scallions and pepper sauté until garlic is lightly browned

-add the chopped greens, the beans and the broth

-add sea salt and pepper to taste

-bring to boil, and simmer for 35-45 minutes

Garlic Parmesan Croutons

-slice the bread in half or thirds depending on size

-in a prep bowl add olive oil and the crushed garlic stir

-with a pastry brush paint the bread with the oil mixture then dust with the parsley

-Spread the Parmesan on the bread generously

-place the bread under the broiler until golden brown, let cool and cut into cubes

-ladle the soup into bowls, add the Croutons and server

Buon Appetito!!!

Split Pea Soup with Spring Onions and Thyme

Another favorite soup to welcome the season.  This Split pea soup  is a light vegetarian version, few ingredients,  easy to prepare and flavorful.  Great for lunch or dinner served with a sprig of fresh thyme… Spring is in the air!!!!

Split Pea Soup with Spring Onions and Fresh Thyme

• Servings: 2-4
• Time: 1-2hrs
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A Fresh, light Springtime favorite

Ingredients

-1 cup of split peas

-2 tbls extra virgin olive oil

-1 garlic clove

-2 large carrots

-3 celery stalks

-4 spring onions

-2 scallions

-7 cups broth, vegetable or chicken

-course grind sea salt

-fresh ground pepper

-6 sprigs of fresh thyme

Directions

-In a deep soup pot add the olive oil, finely chop the spring onions, garlic and the scallions and add to the oil.  Saute on medium/low heat until the onions are translucent about 3-5 minutes careful not to burn.

-Dice the celery and carrots

-add the chopped celery, carrots and the split peas to the onions

Add the broth, sea salt, pepper and thyme cook simmer on a medium/low heat. (Note- unsoaked peas can take 1-2 hours to cook you need to watch the and maintain the broth level, if you presoak the peas cooking time is around 45 minutes.)    Cook the soup until the peas are soft to the bite.

-remove approximately 2 cups and blend with a immersion blender, mix the creamed soup back into the pot

-serve with a drizzle of olive oil

As always I look forward to your feedback!

Buon Appetito!!

Spicy Butternut Squash Soup

Today it’s chilly and cloudy, the perfect day to make my favorite soup for lunch.  Spicy Butternut Squash is a light healthy soup packed with loads of flavor that you can make in less than an hour.  It is so easy and so so good!!

• Servings: 6-8
• Time: 1 hour
• Difficulty: easy
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Spicy, easy to make soup packed with tons of flavor

Ingredients

-2 lbs of uncooked butternut squash peeled and cubed (note-you can roast the squash in the oven to make it easier to peel, place on a lined cookie sheet, make a few knife incisions and bake until soft, scrape the seeds and use the pulp in place of the cubed pieces)

-2 inch piece of fresh ginger grated  (note- a microplane does a great job grating ginger)

-1 large sweet onion roughly chopped

-1 scallion chopped

-1/2 red pepper chopped

-3 garlic cloves smashed with a knife

-1 fresh red hot pepper split

-4 cups of vegetable broth

-grated lemon peel

-1 lime

-1 can of coconut milk

-fresh cilantro

-2 tbls extra virgin olive oil

-sea salt and pepper

Directions

-In a soup pot, on medium heat add the olive oil, garlic, hot red pepper, grated ginger, scallion and a few grates of lemon peel, stir letting the flavors release.

-Add the chopped onion and red pepper

-Add the butternut squash, and the broth, sea salt and pepper to taste

-Cook for 45-50 minutes on medium-low heat until all vegetables are soft add the cilantro to your liking

-Off the heat, add the juice of 1 lime blend with a immersion blender until you have a smooth creamy soup

-Stir in the coconut milk

-Serve hot or at room temperature. 

Buon Appetito!!

Creamed Lentil and Vegetable Soup

Hopefully this creamy, healthy, spicy soup will keep  our friends warm in the cold weather….This soup is  fast, easy and  nutritional, with tons of veggies and lentils.  I like making it  a little spicy, and love using a fresh mexican salsa, avocado, tomato and cucumber salsa and/or  even shredded radicchio salad on top…a dollop of sour cream works too!!

• Servings: 1 pot
• Time: 1 1/5 hour
• Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

-2 1/2 cups of green lentils rinsed

-4 stalks of celery chopped in chunks

-1 large yellow onion cut in chunks

-3 scallions peeled and quartered

-5 carrots peeled and chopped in chunks

-2 cups of chopped mushrooms

-1 red bell pepper cut in chunks

-1 red hot pepper fresh chopped finely

-4 cloves of garlic, peeled whole and smashed

-1 ripe tomato cut in pieces or 1tbls tomato paste

-5 cups of broth vegetable, chicken of beef

-2 tbls olive oil extra virgin

-1 tsp cumin seeds

-1 tbls of chili powder

-1tsp of ground oregano

-sea salt and ground pepper

Directions

-in a soup pot add olive oil, garlic cloves and hot pepper, lightly brown the garlic to release it’s flavor

-add all the vegetables and lentils, stirring with the pepper and garlic

-add the broth and seasonings

-cook on low heat until all vegetable and lentils are soft 45-60 minutes (note-if lentils absorb cooking liquid add more broth at anytime during cooking)

-off of the heat, with an immersion blender puree the soup into a cream

-serve with chopped avocado, fresh salsas and or sour cream

Buon Appetito