Recipe Review from 10/16/2017

I took a bit of a hiatus from cooking new recipes the last couple of weeks.  It's just been crazy busy between work, yoga, and obedience classes and I just needed to simplify a bit.  Okay...a lot.   I'll confess to doing take-n-bake pizza and Indian take-out and enjoying every bite!

I did make the new recipe below, and will say I now have a new favorite tomato soup!   And it's NOT from a can!

Fire Roasted Tomato Soup (Ckng Lght, Sept 2017)  gluten free, vegetarian
Good soup is a must for chilly Fall afternoons and evenings.  This is a great soup, perfect for anytime the hankering for tomato soup and grilled cheese hits.  The onion and garlic are the only thing that needs chopping, everything else is plop and saute.   It comes together in about 30 minutes, and while the soup is simmering on the stove, clean-up is a cinch and you can start to assemble the grilled cheese.   If you have an immersion blender - prep is even faster.   Highly recommended! 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

photo from cookinglight.com

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon unsalted tomato paste
2 cups unsalted chicken stock
1/2 cup torn basil leaves
2 (14.5-oz.) cans unsalted fire-roasted tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1) Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, crushed red pepper, and garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 minute. Add stock, torn basil leaves, and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cook 8 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, sugar, and freshly ground black pepper.

2) Place tomato mixture in a blender. Remove center piece from blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening (to avoid splatters); blend until smooth.   My notes - use an immersion blender and blend to desired thickness.   Place 1/4 cup soup and yogurt in a small bowl; stir until smooth. Stir yogurt mixture into remaining soup. Divide soup among 4 bowls; top evenly with chopped basil.