When I was at the supermarket the other day, I was blown away by how the soup selection has expanded in the past few years. Even the stalwart Campbell's is upping its game with upscale-sounding options. (Morrocan-style Chicken with Chickpeas is part of its new Go line, featuring "bold and unexpected flavors" and, frankly, goofy packaging with photos of the target audience posed in wide-eyed anticipation of... soup!)
There's now a huge chunk of shelf space devoted to ready-to-serve soup packaged in pourable boxes, some with celebrity tie-ins. Wolfgang Puck's been shilling soup for some time, while Rachael Ray is a fairly new face on the soup shelf. And then there's the guy who was the inspiration for the Soup Nazi episode on Seinfeld, with a Canadian-made line called Soup Man.
You know what all those selections have in common? A long list of ingredients, some with unprounounable names. It's not always possible, time wise, but if I have 15 minutes to prep and simmer, I would much rather make soup from scratch.
Recently, I had a friend over for lunch and by the end of the meal, he was going on and on about my cream of tomato soup. He needed more soup in his life. Soup was life-affirming. That sort of thing. And I swear, we were not drinking.
There's really nothing to it! Here's my super quick creamy tomato soup recipe. Feel free to add your favorite grilled cheese sammie on the side!
Creamy tomato soup
1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes with basil
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper, to taste
pinch of sugar, optional
Saute the onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper, as well as the pinch of sugar if using. Turn off the heat and add the cream. Stir and serve.
Serves 4 as an appetizer, 2 as a main course.
-- Leslie Kelly
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