Tomato Soup with Caramelized Onion and Mint

I was craving a roasted tomato soup. Roasting adds a fullness and depth that you just cant get without the time spent in the oven. But it was not to be since I did not have whole tomatoes that I could roast. I did have some beautiful red onion though which I caramelized in my heavy dutch oven along with some dried red chili flakes and garlic. A handful of mint brings out the freshness of the tomatoes and highlights the tartness wonderfully.

The end result is a full bodied soup that's sweet, hot and fresh! I served this up with some fresh  crusty garlic bread broiled with some mild cheddar for a couple minutes- yumm!

Prep Time: 1 hour
Serves: 3

Ingredients:

1 large can plum tomatoes (About 3 cups of tomatoes)
1 large red onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp, Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup fresh mint leaves, washed
Feta cheese for garnish.

Heat a heavy pot on medium high and add the olive oil, garlic and chili flakes. Saute for a couple minutes.
Add the onions, a pinch of salt and the sugar. Stir.
Let the onions caramelize, stir frequently. This should take about 20-30 minutes
Add the tomatoes and heat through for about 5 minutes covered.
Puree the mixture in a blender and transfer back to the pot.
Mix in the salt and mint. Heat for a couple more minutes and serve with some feta cheese on top.

Cucumber Mint Salad

Ingredients:

3 Persian or English cucumbers, sliced thinly into rounds. (Use a slicer or a mandolin)
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
2 tbsp red onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves. Chiffonade.

Mix all the ingredients together. Let it sit for about 15 minutes, covered in the fridge before serving.

Rustic Tomato Soup with Cannelini Beans

Every dish has a story. This one began with a cool fall evening and 2 tired souls!


Soup is perfect for a cold, fall evening. This one was a meal-in-a-pot and very hearty served up with warm crusty bread and a splash of good olive oil. (I used some lemon infused olive oil)

Serves 4
Preparation time 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
4 large tomatoes, chopped roughly (or a large can of tomatoes- crushed or diced)
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large yellow squash, diced
1 can cannellini or pinto beans, rinsed
2 cups broth
1/2 cup milk (for vegan option, use almond milk)
*1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup fresh basil
2 tbsp fresh rosemary (and extra for garnish)

1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp paprika (or to taste)
1 tsp crushed red pepper (or to taste)

Salt, to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper, garnish

Method

Heat a heavy pot on medium with the olive oil
Add the onions and garlic, saute until soft
Add the coriander powder, paprika and red pepper and stir until fragrant
Add the squash, tomatoes and basil. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are squishy

Turn off the heat and use a hand blender to puree the vegetables roughly. (For a more rustic soup, don't puree until completely smooth) If you don't have a hand blender, transfer to a regular blender and pulse a couple times until desired consistency is achieved.
Transfer mixture back to the pot, add the broth and cook on medium heat
Whisk the flour and milk in a small bowl and slowly whisk this mixture into the soup. Whisk until you see no floury lumps
Season with salt to taste
Add the beans to the soup
Cook on medium heat stirring occasionally for about 5-10 minutes (this is to allow the soup to thicken and cook the flour)
Turn off the heat and add the rosemary to the hot soup just before serving

Serve with fresh cracked pepper, rosemary leaves or a chiffonade of basil and a splash of good olive oil. This soup tastes amazing with a side of warm, crusty bread.

* The flour and milk mixture is equivalent to adding cream to the soup. It does the same thing- thicken the soup. I used flour and milk as a healthier alternative. You could also try using coconut milk instead (1/2 cup) But remember to cook on low heat after adding the coconut milk, else the soup will separate.