Tomato-can label prompts a great veggie soup

Another of those unlikely places to find a great recipe—the label on the can of diced peeled tomatoes. The store brand, at that. But the recipe on the side attracted me with the words “Chunky Tomato Basil Soup”. It called for several items, including fresh basil and carrot, I already had on hand. I decided to give it a try.

End result: Hubby said it was one of the best soups he had in a long time. I cheated a little and added a few veggie leftovers, including some speckled butterbeans left from last week’s blog, to up the healthiness content.

This soup got better every day it sat in the refrigerator. We were so sad when we ladeled out the last few vegetable chunks and tomato broth. This is a dream recipe in terms of speed of preparation—lightning fast. Chopping the carrots, celery, and onion is the most involved part.

I’m already saving and freezing chopped vegetables for a repeat performance.

Chunky Tomato Basil Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 (14.5-ounce) cans No Salt Added Diced tomatoes, undrained

1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled

3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

salt (or salt substitute) and black pepper to taste

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat add oil and saute´ onion, celery, and carrots until all are tender—about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add the diced tomatoes, dried basil, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Ladle into bowls; garnish with fresh basil. Serve hot. Refrigerate any leftovers. Makes 6 servings. (Source: label for Kroger-brand No Salt Added Diced Peeled Tomatoes in Tomato Juice) 

Happy ending for countless tomatoes--Mexican Tomato Soup

Tomatoes line my window ledge, my kitchen island, the shelves of my refrigerator. A banner tomato year . . . I’m seeking to find happy endings for all them.

I couldn’t have picked a better place for some of these tomatoes to land than Mexican Tomato Soup. To begin with, the recipe calls low-sodium tomato juice. No-brainer. Boil a bunch of these red jewels, season, and strain. Tomato juice at the ready (the exact tomato juice recipe is found in my cookbook, Way Back in the Country Garden). Then it asks for a couple of extra tomatoes, cored and halved and added to a chicken-broth-and-tomato-juice base. A couple extra tomatoes (how about a couple hundred extra ones?) are no problem.

Some spices, green onions, lime juice, a little boiling and simmering. Add some deboned chicken strips. Not many minutes later (just long enough for the chicken bits to cook), a tangy soup dish awaits. The recipe also calls for making your own tortilla chips out of leftover tortillas. A great way to use up some that hang around in the refrigerator. Chunks of cheese and avocado are hearty additions.

Hubby and I enjoyed this dish on a Saturday night. Since Saturday is approaching again, I commend this to your weekend.

Mexican Tomato Soup

6 (6-inch) corn tortillas

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

2 medium tomatoes, cored and halved

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves

1 (32-ounce) container reduced-sodium fat-free chicken broth

2 cups low-sodium tomato juice

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 1/2 pound skinned and boned chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips

4 green onions (white part only), thinly sliced

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup crumbled fresh Mexican cheese

1 medium avocado, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush 1 side of tortillas with 1 tablespoon oil; cut tortillas in half. Stack tortilla halves and cut crosswise into 14-inch-wide strips. Arrange strips in a single layer of a lightly greased baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Bake 15 minutes or until golden. Stir halfway through. Cool. Meanwhile heat a nonstick skillet over high heat 2 minutes. Add tomato halves and cook (turn occasionally) 10 minutes, or until tomatoes are charred on all sides. (Tomatoes may stick.) Transfer to a food processor. Sauté onion in remaining 1 tablespoon hot oil in skillet over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; sauté 2 minutes or until fragrant. Transfer onion mixture to food processor with tomatoes; process until smooth. Cook tomato mixture in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally, 5 minutes or until thickened. Stir in broth and tomato juice. Add bay leaf and next 3 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered and stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. Add chicken; simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes or until chicken is done. Discard bay leaf. Stir in green onions and next 2 ingredients. Season with salt (or salt substitute) and pepper. Divide Mexican cheese among 4 to 6 soup bowls; top with tortilla strips. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with avocado. Makes 4 to 6 servings. (Source: Southern Living July 2012)

C'mon, winter blast: we're ready for ya with Zesty Tomato Soup

OK, let no doubt exist: we needed something warm and with a kick to it. The weather was icy and lingering (is again today, as well. Thank goodness I have a sealed container of this mixture left over for my lunch.); we needed something that warmed down to the toenails. For such a time as this I'd been saving my Zesty Tomato Soup recipe. Out with the ingredients.

For the 1 can vegetable stock called for in the recipe I subbed 14 ounces of my own brew. I boiled 2 stalks of fresh celery, 1/2 cup chopped green peppers, and 1/2 cup corn (fresh veggies I had on hand) in about two cups water and let it simmer for about 30 minutes to make my own broth so I could control the sodium content. I measured the liquid to be sure I was adding 14 ounces. Then besides the broth I added to the soup-makings these veggies as well.

The minced garlic and red-pepper flakes did their job well. This garden-fresh soup with a kick kept us warmed up (in a good way) long after mealtime. When the ice blasted us, we were ready with this delicious warmer.

Zesty Tomato Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon oregano, dried

4 cups fresh tomatoes, diced (or 2 28-ounce cans diced no-salt added tomatoes)

1 (14-ounce) can vegetable stock, reduced sodium (or your own homemade vegetable stock)

2 cups water

1/2 cup fresh corn cut from cob, 1 stalk celery, 1/2 cup chopped green pepper (add these if you've made your own stock)

In a stock pot heat olive oil. Add garlic, red pepper, and oregano. Saute until garlic simmers. With your hands crush the tomatoes over the stock pot. Add the vegetable stock and water. (If you've made your own stock, add the vegetables in the stock at this point.) Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.