Snowy Day Sherried Tomato Soup

 

When I woke up to four inches of snow this morning that could only mean one thing… soup! I lit a fire, fired up the espresso machine for a triple shot, and then got straight to work sautéing chopped onions.

 This Sherried Tomato Soup is everything you want on a winter’s day—full of rich flavor, a gentle spicy kick from the Bloody Mary mix, and endlessly versatile. Serve it with a grilled cheese sandwich for a cozy lunch, or offer it as an elegant starter for dinner with company.

 Customize it any way you like. I love little bits of onion, so I leave them as they are. If you prefer a smoother texture, grab an immersion blender. If chunky tomatoes are more your style, simply substitute the crushed tomatoes with petite diced.

 It’s warm, comforting, and wonderfully adaptable—perfect for snowy days and chilly nights.

Snowy Day Sherried Tomato Soup

6 T. butter
1 medium Melissa’s yellow onion, diced
1 (42-ounce) bottle Bloody Mary mix
 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes (or substitute with petite diced tomatoes for a chunkier texture)
1 T. chicken soup base
2 T. granulated sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 c. dry sherry
1 c. heavy cream
½ t. dried basil
½ t. dried parsley (or 1½ t. each of fresh basil and parsley)

Melt the butter in a medium stockpot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté until translucent and softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the Bloody Mary mix, crushed tomatoes, chicken soup base, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. Once simmering, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the dry sherry. Slowly whisk in the heavy cream until fully incorporated. Add the basil and parsley, adjusting seasoning to taste. For a smoother texture, use an immersion blender to purée the soup to your desired consistency. Serve hot.

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4 B’s Creamy Tomato Soup

 

The 4B's restaurant chain was established in 1947 by Bill Hainline and his family (his wife, Buddy, and their children, Bill, Jr. and Barbara) in Missoula, Montana. The name, as one might guess, comes from the first letters of their names. While the chain served traditional American food like soups, salads, sandwiches, they were most known for their famous cream of tomato soup.

Source: Pinterest

 The original recipe from back in the early 70’s when 4B’s gave them to customers was founder Barbara Hainline’s family recipe. In that recipe, it calls for 16 oz. crushed tomatoes and 16 oz. diced canned tomatoes. It also calls for 1 cup heavy cream and 1 cup liquid coffee creamer. There are no other spices added to it. Customers added salt and pepper at the table. Personally, I can’t imagine a soup being made with coffee creamer, considering all of the nasty ingredients that are in that. Fortunately, the recipe was altered to become the one that I have pictured here.  The beauty of this soup is, of course, its simplicity. One taste told me why it was so beloved. That said, I had to put my hand in, as I do, so my version is below. I think the fire-roasted tomatoes are an excellent addition, as well as adding salt to the pot while it’s simmering. Pair this with a grilled cheese, and you have the absolute ultimate in comfort food.

 4 B’s Creamy Tomato Soup

 1 14.5-oz. can petite diced tomatoes

1 14.5-oz.can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

9 oz. chicken broth

1 T. butter

2 T. sugar*

¼ t. salt

1 T. Melissa’s shallot, chopped

Pinch baking soda

2 c. heavy cream

 Mix tomatoes, chicken, broth, butter, sugar, onions, and soda together in a medium stockpot. Simmer for one hour. Heat cream in a double boiler. Slowly add cream to hot tomato soup mixture. Serve and enjoy.

 *This soup definitely has a sweet taste; I loved it, you may not. Adjust the sugar accordingly.

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Tuscan Vegetable Soup with Shells & White Beans

 

Some days I’m just in the mood for vegetables, all kinds. When I get in moods like this, I decide that the best way to enjoy these vegetables is in a big bowl of soup. I’m not going to lie, there is a lot of chopping involved in making this soup. I also feel obliged to tell you to take it easy here, because if you have too much of this stuff, you will feel as though you’re prepping for a colonoscopy. That said, it is delicious, nutritious, and, once made, one of the easiest things you will put on the table. Serve it with crusty rolls or garlic bread; for true Italian authenticity, pour yourself a glass of Chianti. Enjoy!

Tuscan Vegetable Soup with Shells & White Beans

 2 T. olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 t. dried thyme

1 t. dried basil

1 t. Italian seasoning

1 T. Melissa’s minced garlic

¼ head green cabbage, cut into ½” pieces

4 stalks celery, diced

3 large carrots, diced

10 cups chicken broth

1 T. chicken soup base

Parmesan cheese rind (optional)

2 15.5-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 14.5-oz. can chopped tomatoes, with juices

1 8-oz. can tomato sauce

2 c. chopped baby spinach

4 medium zucchini, cut into ½-inch pieces

½ c. small shell pasta

1 t. salt

½ t. freshly ground black pepper

1 t. granulated white sugar

1 c. grated fresh Parmesan cheese

 In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, thyme, basil, Italian seasoning, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Add the cabbage, celery, and carrots; sauté 10 minutes. Add the broth and soup base. Add the Parmesan cheese rind, if using. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 1 hour.

 Add the beans, tomatoes, spinach, zucchini, pasta, salt, pepper, and sugar. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes longer.  

Just before serving, stir in the cheese, divide the soup among bowls. Top each serving with a sprinkle of more Parmesan, if desired.

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Tortellini Soup with Spinach and Kielbasa

No matter how hard I tried, there was just no way to make this soup look as pretty and delicious as it tasted. I suppose if I had topped it with grated Parmesan, as I did before I ate it, it would have looked better; a sprinkling of freshly chopped parsley probably wouldn't have hurt either. But, despite its rather humble appearance, this soup is big on taste.

I found a package of cheese tortellini while cleaning the fridge the other day, and thought tortellini soup sounded so good. It didn't bother me that it was 95° outside. It was, after all, the month of September, and come September I switch into Soup Mode, weather be damned. In my search for recipes using cheese tortellini, I stumbled upon an interesting one on epicurious.com. I adapted it to kick the kale to the curb (I am so over kale!), replacing it with the spinach that I always tend to have in my fridge. 

When I make it again, and I will, I'll add another can of cannellini beans, there weren't enough in here to suit me. I found this tasty and satisfying, not to mention a wonderfully hearty bowl of goodness. This soup will fill you up. All it needs is a nice roll, or piece of cornbread, and you have a wonderful meal. It keeps up to three days in the fridge; the jury is still out as to how well it freezes. I have a number of containers of it in my freezer, and come winter when I thaw them out, I'll let you know.

Tortellini Soup with Spinach and Kielbasa
Slightly adapted from epicurious.com

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 12-ounce fully cooked smoked kielbasa sausage, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh fennel (do not omit!)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½  teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
10 cups low sodium chicken stock
4 cups of baby spinach
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 9-ounce package cheese tortellini
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add next six ingredients, sauté until vegetables are soft and Kielbasa is brown, about 12 minutes. Stir in stock and bring to a boil. Stir in cannellini beans, reduce heat to low and simmer about four minutes. Stir in spinach and allow to wilt. Add tortellini to the soup and simmer until pasta is tender, but still firm, about five minutes. Serve topped with grated Parmesan.

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Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Soup

Once again it is “Sip Some Soup Sunday,” and what a perfect weekend this has been for making and enjoying soup. I have been iced in since Friday afternoon, so nothing has pleased me more than to be able to sit in front of the fire, sip some cinnamon tea, binge-watch my favorite British mysteries, and stir up one pot of soup after another.

It may come as a surprise to you to learn that I have never made tortellini soup. You may be further surprised to know that I've never eaten tortellini soup either. So, when I spotted this recipe on the Cafe Delights blog, and further learned that it was made in the crockpot, well, you just know I had to try it out. I adapted the recipe slightly to fit my medium-sized (4-quart) crockpot.

I used dried tortellini, and chose the cheese variety for the soup, but I also picked up some portobello mushroom tortellini that looks sensational. (Both of these I got at Aldi -- who knew?) I’m excited to be using tortellini for the first time in my life. As far as the spinach goes, if you're not wild about spinach, use kale. If you're not wild about either, leave it out. I think the spinach is wonderful; I used about three handfuls, that seemed to suit me, and I do like the addition of the green here. The soup will thicken as it cools and the tortellini absorbs all of that wonderful moisture. If it is too thick for your liking, feel free to thin it with stock or milk. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Soup

Adapted from Café Delights

10 ounces ground hot Italian sausage, browned

1 medium onion, diced

2 medium carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

2 teaspoons low-sodium beef soup base

½ teaspoon salt

3 cups beef broth

2 Tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tablespoons water

1 12-ounce can evaporated milk

1 8-ounce packet three cheese tortellini (I used dried)

3 handfuls fresh baby spinach

1 cup whole milk

Place the first 9 ingredients into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7 hours.

Uncover and skim and discard any fat that may have risen to the top. Add the cornstarch slurry, evaporated milk, and dry tortellini. Stir together. Cover and cook on high for 45 additional minutes.

Uncover and add spinach, pressing down into the liquid as you do so. Cook until wilted, 5-10 minutes more. Stir in milk, and serve with crusty bread and a side salad. This is truly a soup that eats like a meal.

 

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My Mother's Cauliflower Soup

Just before Christmas last year, a posse of my favorite neighborhood gals and I went out to lunch and on a holiday shopping spree. We decided to make one of our stops at the newly opened Fresh Thyme Farmer's Market to have a look around. A look was all that we got. The place was so crowded that, if we didn't want to go where the crowd pushed us, we were pretty much out of luck. We did not stay.

Yesterday I was back in that area and did stop. While The Fresh Market remains my favorite place to shop, this market was not without merit. The spinach feta croissant that I bought for lunch was surprisingly good. The prices on produce were amazing. Parsley, cilantro, radishes, and scallions, all of which I consume with reckless abandon, were only 49 cents a bunch. Dare I say that I got bunches? Both broccoli and cauliflower were $1.49 a head, so heads rolled (right into my cart).

When I got home and happily unloaded all of my vegetable goodies, thoughts of my mother's cauliflower soup popped into my head. It was good, as I recalled, and I asked my dad if he remembered it. He did with fondness, so I had to rummage for the recipe and give it a try.

I love cauliflower in all forms, but Mr. O-P tends to balk at any vegetable with the exception of corn-on-the-cob and green beans, so it speaks volumes that he liked this soup. Using your own chicken stock makes it rich and wonderful, but for vegetarians, I wouldn't shy away from using homemade mushroom or vegetable stock.

This soup is a great winter warmer, and a delicious way to get vegetables into the mouths of haters, and have them love you for it.

 My Mother's Cauliflower Soup

1 medium head cauliflower,

cleaned and broken into bite-sized bits
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 ribs of celery, sliced
4-1/2 cups homemade chicken or vegetable stock
8 fresh crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a medium stockpot, bring cauliflower, carrots, and celery to a boil in stock. Meanwhile, in a 9-inch saute pan, saute mushrooms and onion in butter until onions are translucent. Add flour, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes. Add one cup of the warm stock to the flour mixture, stirring until thick. Pour mushroom/onion mixture into the cauliflower/carrot/celery broth and stir to combine. Stir in cream, parsley, and pepper to taste. Heat through. Serves 6-8.

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