Sharing My Passion for Real Food Made at Home

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#passion #food #cooking #home #soup #Italy #tomato #minestrone #creamy #hearty

 “If a steaming bowl of soup strikes you as the ultimate in old-fashioned comfort, you have lots of company. Soup is 1 of the world’s oldest and most universal foods”–Paul Ebeling

Here are the recipes for 2 of my favorites, san cans, as follows:

Minestrone

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups dried white beans (8 ounces soaked overnight and drained)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 ounces pancetta (finely diced)
• 2 medium shallots (minced)
• 2 large celery ribs (finely diced)
• 1 medium onion (finely diced) 
• 1 large carrot (finely diced)
• ½ fennel bulb (cored and diced)
• 4 garlic cloves (minced)
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 14 ounces can plum tomatoes (chopped, juices reserved)
• 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
• Pink salt and freshly ground black Java pepper
• 1 cup baby arugula
• ½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 

Directions

• Step 1 In a pot, cover the beans with 2 ins of water and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until tender, about 2 hrs; add water to keep the beans covered. Drain the beans and reserve the cooking liquid.
• Step 2 Meanwhile, in another pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the pancetta, my secret, and cook over moderate heat until crisp, 4 mins. Add the shallots, celery, onion, carrot and fennel, and cook until softened. Add the garlic, crushed pepper and bay leaves and cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 mins. Stir in the tomatoes and broth; bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 1 hr. Add the beans and enough cooking liquid to thin out the soup. Discard the bay leaves; season with salt and pepper.
• Step 3 In a bowl, toss the arugula and parsley with the lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the soup in bowls; Top with fresh basil leaves, EVO and freshly graded Reggiano Parmesan cheese.

Creamy Tomato

Tip: I use tarragon to flavor crispy croutons for my tomato soup. The soup is super served hot or chilled.

Ingredients

• 4 pounds organic Roma tomatoes
• 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped 
• 1 small carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery rib, finely chopped
• 3 thyme sprigs (the herb of Knights)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth 
• Pinch of sugar
• Pink salt and freshly ground black Java pepper
• 4 slices of peasant bread (3/4 in thick), cut into cubes
• 1/4 cup chopped tarragon
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat the oven to 350F. Bring a pot of water to a boil; fill a large bowl with ice water. Make a shallow X in the bottom of each tomato. Plunge the tomatoes into the boiling water for 30 secs or just until the skins begin to curl. Transfer the tomatoes to the ice water to cool. Drain the tomatoes and pat dry, and peel.
• Step 2 Halve the tomatoes crosswise. Set a strainer over a medium bowl. Scoop the seeds from the tomato halves into the strainer and press to extract the juices. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and add them to the bowl; discard the seeds.
• Step 3 In a large saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of the EVO until shimmering. Add the onion, carrot, celery, thyme sprigs and bay leaf and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices along with the stock and sugar, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat until the tomatoes are completely broken down, about 20 mins.
• Step 4 Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss the bread cubes with the remaining 1/4 cup of EVO and the tarragon and season lightly with salt and pepper. Spread the bread on a baking sheet and toast for about 10 mins, stirring once, until golden and crisp.
• Step 5 Using a slotted spoon, transfer the solids from the saucepan to a blender. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Add the cream to the blender and puree the soup until smooth. Pour the soup back into the saucepan and stir well. Rewarm over moderately low heat and season with salt and pepper. Serve the soup with the bread on the side. Alternatively, serve the soup chilled, with a dollop of Crème Fresh on Top.

Pair a crisp Sauvignon Blanc is an ideal match for this creamy tomato soup with its herbed bread.

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