soup

soup:  [soop]

~ NOUN:  A LIQUID FOOD MADE BY BOILING OR SIMMERING MEAT, SEAFOOD, OR VEGETABLES WITH VARIOUS ADDED INGREDIENTS. ~

i have a confession to make.  once the weather turns cold, and oftentimes dreary, as it has a tendency to do in the winter, i crave soups and stews.  i just simply cannot.get.enough.  there is something about a bubbly pot of goodness on the stove that just makes my heart happy.

sure, my southern girl heart would rather be in the tropics, soaking up the sun, listening to reggae, with a mojito in hand, but alas, this is not (always) possible.

i don't "do cold" very well.

however, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do...

so, soups and stews it is to warm up my southern girl heart in the midst of a cold winter's night.

on sundays, where there seems to be a fabulously excessive amount of time to spend in the kitchen, i will whip up a concoction that requires hours of simmering, soaking up the anticipation of a hearty stew that will soon be served for dinner.

however, on a rainy, cold wednesday, i've got things to do and i need to get my soup fix with a quickness!

as a girl who has a self-processed love for tomatoes (thank goodness for my childhood neighbor's garden, as well as that of my brother-in-law, for amazing tomatoes in-season), one would think that tomato soup and i would have quite the love affair.  however, much to my dismay, i thought for the longest time that i simply just didn't like tomato soup.  i wanted to like it, but the stuff out of the can and even from my favorite sandwich shop, well, it just fell short.

until i found this recipe...and modified it....of course....because that is just what i do.

this, my sweet friends, is tomato soup perfection and is hands-down one of hubby's favorite soups (and mine too).

the best part?  it is done start-to-finish in 45 minutes.  it doesn't get any better than that for a quick night meal!

so, give it a shot.  even you tomato-soup haters.  i promise you will love it!! 

here's the scoop:

spicy tomato soup
slightly adapted from whole living magazine

ingredients:

* 1 28 oz can whole peeled plum tomatoes (i typically use muir glen, and/or organic if i can find it.  don't skimp here on quality, as this is the basis for the entire soup.  you'll be glad you spent the extra moolah for top notch tomatoes.)

* 2 tbsp of olive oil

* 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes (i use 1/2 tsp, since my husband likes the spice...obviously, he's married to a redhead.  ;-) )

* 1 1/2 tablespoons of minced garlic

* 1 half of a large white onion, diced

* 2 1/2 cups of vegetable broth or low-sodium chicken broth  (i am partial to vegetable broth)

* salt and pepper

* freshly shredded cheese

instructions:

1.)  heat oil and red pepper flakes in a dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat 30 seconds or until fragrant.

2.)  add garlic and onion.  saute until soft, about 5 - 6 minutes.

3.)  add tomatoes, crushing slightly with your hands or a wooden spoon.  stir in vegetable or chicken broth.  season to taste with salt and pepper.

4.)  reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.

5.)  transfer soup to a food processor or blender.  puree until desired consistency.  (we leave ours just shy of completely smooth, so you still get small bits of tomato.)

6.)  top with your favorite cheese.  we enjoy mozzarella, parmesean, and/or fontina.

we also serve it with a garlic ciabatta bread for dipping!  if fresh basil is in-season, go ahead and throw some on top.  the possibilities are endless!

give it a try and let me know your thoughts in the comments.  :)

enjoy and stay warm!! 

xoxox -