Homemade Cream of Tomato Soup

We both have a strong memory of comfort food built around cream of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. And after cold, windy days like today (our annual Farm Open House, 45 F in a gusty 20 mph wind), we need a bit of super-warm comfort.

The trick with this recipe is not to fall back on making Campbell's instead. It does take about 30 minutes of simmering, but it is worth it. We use our own quarts of tomato puree from the year before. The tomatoes are all gone by then, but I have 14 oz cans of Muir Glen diced tomatoes handy to give it some texture.

The 30 minute simmering time is to allow the basil time to get well-mixed.

And finally, we don't buy cream this way (unless it is going into whipped cream). So I used 1/2 cup of whole milk - not from the store which may have some cream removed, but absolutely fresh off the udder, whole goat milk. The cream there is part of the allure of the texture and gives a nice floor to the sweet tomato flavor.

"Tastes like summer."

Ingredients

• 1 quart of tomato puree, hopefully your own
• 4 medium sized tomatoes, diced OR 14 oz canned diced tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp of dried basil OR 10-15 fresh basil leaves (best)
• 1 broth cube (I used Herb-Ox vegetable bouillon cubes)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream OR 1/2 cup whole milk w/ cream

Steps

1. Add the quart of puree, the diced tomatoes, broth cube and the basil to a medium sized pot. Bring to a fast simmer then down to a low simmer. Hold there for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Once the 30 minutes are up, turn off the heat and stir in the cream/whole milk and serve immediately hot.
3. While the soup is simmering, you might as well start making grilled cheese sandwiches!

Serves 4.

Vietnamese Beef Pho

Vietnamese Pho is pretty much "awesome broth that has lots of crunchy, yummy add-ons." Obviously then, the broth makes the soup. There are two schools of thought here: make a slow cooked beef broth out of good knuckles, oxtail, or other bones plus a mix of almost "garam masala" type spices. You can see a discussion of those spices at Steamy Kitchen's version of Pho.

It really benefits from remembering that this is "jumped up street food" and so our recipe is fairly flexible based on what is in the fridge that needs to get used super-fast. At its core, the Pho needs a solid beef-y broth, sprouts, beef, and something from the onion family (leeks, onion, scallions, etc). Top with lime juice and cilantro/basil and we are ready.

Even Bri will eat this soup.

Ingredients

• 6 cups of broth from cubes
  
• 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon of fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon of lime juice
• 1/3 cup of an Oriental sauce (stir-fry sauce, plum sauce, even gravy!)
• 1 inch of grated ginger root
• 1 dash of red pepper flakes
• 1 cup of sliced onion family (leek, onion, or scallions)
• 1 cup of carrots sliced
• 1 lb of flank steak, chilled then sliced very thin against the grain
• 8-10 oz of rice noodles
• 2 cups of sprouts
• 1/2 cup of cilantro, diced

Steps:

1. In a large pot, heat the broth water to high simmer.
2. Add sauces, ginger and red pepper. Stir well and simmer until uniform.
3. Add onion, carrots, steak and cook for 20 minutes.
4. Add rice noodles and cook 6-8 minutes (read package carefully).
5. When the noodles are done, serve immediately by ladling into bowls. Top with sprouts, cilantro (basil is also good). Make sure there is more hoisin sauce and hot pepper sauce available on the table.

Winter Oden Soup

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp miso paste
• 2 cups of beef broth
• 4 Tbsp of mirin
• 1 5x5inch square of nori or 1 3-inch length of konbu
• 1 Tbsp of furikake (optional)
• 8 ounces of mushrooms, torn into chunks
• 4 cups of water
• 1 lb of beef - your choice of cut, although I like tougher cuts here
• 1 lb of tofu, coarsely chunked
• 4 carrots, sliced
• 1 bunch of green onions, coarsely chopped
• 1 bunch of kale or spinach, stemmed and coarsely chopped
• 6 ounces of udon noodles

Steps

1. In a large pot, add the water, miso, mirin, broth, seaweed, and furikake (optional).
2. Let the broth simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add the sliced beef to the broth and simmer 20 minutes. Tougher cuts should go longer, which is awesome since this smells up the kitchen so fast.
4. Add tofu, carrots, and greens. Simmer 30 minutes.
5. When there are 10 minutes before dinner, add the udon noodles.
6. Garnish with green onions. Serve hot!

Between 6-10 servings, depending on slurpings!

Potato Corn Chowder

This is one of our oldest recipes - we only have it written down in one place on a notecard. I don't even know where we got it from, but it has been a stand-by for as long as I can remember us being together.

It is a straight ovo-lacto vegetarian recipe, but you could add some sausage to it (I know Bri would like that) or some chicken. I even saw a variant of this with lobster. Lobster! Riiiight.

Or version is big on the potatoes and corn, fresh is best, but where do you get fresh corn when it is cool enough to eat soup? Not around me, at least not with local.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 3 red (or Yukon Gold) potatoes, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• broth to cover (about 1 quart)
• 3 cups of corn
• 2 cups of crushed tomatoes (14 oz can)
• 1 tsp of dried thyme
• 1 tsp of marjoram or oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup of milk, soy-milk or yogurt

Steps

1. Saute the onion for 5 minutes under medium-high heat.
2. Add the carrots and celery and saute 2 minutes more.
3. Add the potatoes and bay leaves, then cover with broth. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
4. Add the corn kernels (still frozen is fine) and the tomatoes. Bring to a low boil, then add the herbs and simmer for 25 minutes.
5. Remove and mash about 1 cup of potatoes (I inevitably bring along some corn and tomatoes... mush 'em all). This will thicken the soup and make it more chowder-like.
6. Finally, add 1 cup of milk or yogurt and simmer 5 more minutes.
7. Serve immediately with a great bread.

Makes 10 servings.

Lentil Soup With Sausage

This stew-soup is perfect for using canned tomatoes, frozen spinach, and stored onion, garlic, and carrots. I am not fussy about lentil type or even sausage type (we have used chicken sausage, kielbasa, even hot dogs!), but the tomatoes and the spinach are key here - accept no lesser substitutes. It is easy enough I can cook it and clean all the dishes in the kitchen at the same time (woohoo!). Also, nothing feel better on cold winter nights that a bowl of something solid like this.

Ingredients:

• 1 to 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1/2 lb. of hearty sausage, sliced
  
• 1 or 2 large onions, chopped
  
• 3 carrots, chopped
  
• 4 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped
  
• 4 cups water + broth cube
  
• 1 cup lentils
  
• 1 quart of tomato juice
  
• 1 package of frozen, thawed spinach (about 1 lb)
  
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  
• 1 Tablespoon paprika
  

Steps

1. Saute onion and carrots, adding up to 1 Tablespoon of olive oil if necessary to prevent sticking.
   
2. Cook 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring
   
3. Add the garlic and cook 1 to 2 more minutes.
   
4. Add the water, broth cube, lentils, and tomato juice and bring to a boil.
   
5. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   
6. Add spinach, cumin, paprika, and salt, if desired.
   
7. Simmer, uncovered, for an additional 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   
8. Optional: Some like a smoother consistency - take some soup and run it through the blender and then add it back.

Serve hot with a great bread, warmed butter, and a salad!

Ribollita (reboiled soup from heaven)

Serves 10-12, makes about a gallon

Ribollita means "reboiled" in Italian, so this is essentially a peasant soup that uses yesterday's leftover bread and adds in whatever is nearby and handy. Like "refrigerator chili", you add what you have. This version works with the ingredients we have handy in the pantry and are in season in store right now.

It ends up being very healthy because it is basically almost no-fat - except for the olive oil you saute with and the cheese and sausage. Other than that it is spoonful after spoonful of awesome broth, kale, and beans. With some bits of carrot and sausage hidden here and there.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans cannellini beans
  
• 8 cups of vegetable stock/broth
  
• 4 onions, chopped
  
• 3 carrots, chopped
  
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
  
• 1 leek, chopped
  
• 6 cloves of garlic, chopped (double if you're sick)
  
• 1 bundle of "crinkly" kale, sliced into 1" wide chunks
  
• 1 quart of tomato puree
• 2 good-sized sprigs of fresh rosemary
  
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
  
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red hot pepper
  
• 4 links of sausage, sliced
• 2 or 3 cups of stale bread (cut into cubes, I like to add something wheat-y like our focaccia)

Making The Soup:

1. Saute the onion, carrot, leeks (optional, it is really great, but our grocery doesn't always have it) and celery in some olive oil for 8 minutes.
   
2. Add the chopped garlic and saute for a 2 minutes.
3. Add kale and saute for 2 or 3 minutes.
4. Add the thyme, rosemary and hot pepper flakes.
5. Cover with 2 quarts of vegetable stock and add the tomatoes.
6. If you have a piece of dried up parmesan cheese in the fridge, now is the time to add it.
7. Add some sliced sausage - we like chicken sausage with bell peppers..
8. Simmer, simmer, simmer on medium-low for about 40 minutes.
9. Add the beans and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
10. Add stale bread in the last five minutes.
    
11. Serve with grated parmesan.