Cream of Tomato Soup, with Pesto

Another one of my summer soups, when tomatoes have a good meat to them.

Ingredients:

• 1 small Onion, finely chopped
• 1 Carrot, finely chopped
• 1 Garlic Clove, minced
• 1/4c Flour
• 6 Tomatoes, peeled and seeded
• 1 Tbsp Chopped Basil
• 1/4c Tomato Paste
• 1 tsp Sugar (or maple syrup 🙂 )
• 3c Vegetable Stock
• 1c Light Cream
• 4-6 Tbsp Pesto

1. Sauté in olive oil the onion for 3-10 minutes, do not brown.
2. Add in carrot for another 3-10 minutes.
3. Add in garlic for another 1-2 minutes.
4. Add in flour.
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5. Add in tomators, basil, tomato paste, sugar and stock.
6. Bring soup to a simmer.
7. Simmer for 20 (minimum) -30 (maximum) minutes.
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8. Puree.
9. Add in cream and warm soup (but do not boil).
10. In necessary season with a smoked salt.
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11. Serve and add a small “blob” of your best pesto.

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Vichyssoise

This hot summer has push me to post my trusted receipts for summer soups.

Ingredients:

• 4 good leeks
• 2-4 medium white potato, peeled and chopped
• 8 cups of chicken stock
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• Lemon Zest
• 1 Tbps fresh Chives

Good leeks means leeks with a long extended white lower body, as we are going to use only the white and light green section of the leek. I put emphasis on this, as the grocery store chains in our part of Canada typically provide horrible garlic and leeks grown by lazy farmers.

1. In a soup out sauté the leeks in Olive Oil for 5-10 minutes
2. Add potatoes and saute for another 5-10 minutes
3. Add stock and bring to a simmer.
4. After 20 minutes, puree.
5. Stir in cream and lemon juice.
6. Pour into a bowl to cool in the fridge.
7. Zest lemon on top.
8. Place on a fridge, and will be ready to serve in 8+ hours.
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Chilled Borscht

Another one of my summer soups.

Ingredients

• 8 Beets, cleaned and topped
• 1 Onion, quarter
• Mushroom or Chicken Stock
• 1 Tbsp Sugar
• 2 Cucumbers, peeled, seeded and matchstick cut
• 2 Tbsp Dill
• 2 Tbsp Lemon or Blood Orange Juice
• 2 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
• Sour Cream

The steps

1. Fill base of a pot place Beets, Onion, Sugar, and then cover with stock.
2. Bring port to boil.
3. Simmer for 40 minutes.
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4. Transfer Beets to bowl, cover with cool water and place in “the fridge”.
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5. Strain the reserve fluid and discard the onion.
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6. Once cool, peel beets.
7. Matchstick cut 2-3 Beets, and return to a dry bowl in the fridge.
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8. Rough Cut remainder Beets.
9. Blend the rough cut Beets with minimum stock to create a slurry.
10. Add lemon and vinegar.
11. Place bowl in the fridge.
12. Hint: Place matchstick beets on top, so there is one bowl in the fridge.
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13. Cool got 8+hours
14. When ready to serve.
15. Combine Beets, Cucumber and Dill.
16. Place in bowl.
17. Add Sour Cream, though we often use our homemade greek yoghurt.

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Provencal Soup – my summer vegetable soup

As I continue to move my recipes off my “smart-phone”, so I can cook with my iPad in the kitchen, here is my summer vegetable soup, adapt from the Joy of Cooking.

Provencal Vegetable Soup

Ingredients – adjust to desire

* Olive Oil
* 1 Onion, Chopped.
* 1 Garlic Clove Minced
* 2 Leeks, Chopped.
* 2-6 Thin Carrots, Peeled and Chopped.
* 2-4 Tomatoes, Skinned, Seed & Chopped.
* 4-8 Small Red (or White) Potatoes, Quartered.
* 8c Chicken Stock.
* 1/2c Black Beans, Rised
* Orzo Pasta.
* 1 Small Zucchini, Slice.
* 1 1/2c Green Beans, 1″ Pieces.
* Basil
* Parmesan Cheese.

Actions 

* Warm oil in Dutch Oven on Stove at medium heat.
* Add in Onion, Garlic, Leeks, Garlic, and Carrots; then reduce heat to low
* Cook till tender, 20+ minutes.

* Add in Tomatoes and Potatoes.
* Stir and watch tomatoes infuse (5 minutes)

* Add stock and bring to simmer.
* Cook until potatoes are tender (12 minutes)

* Add in Beans, Zucchini, Orzo and Basil.
* Simmer until the pasta is tender.

* Remove the soup from the heat.
* When serving, add slivers of Parmesan Cheese.

* Keeps for 3 days.

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Oh yes,Orzo is the most under-rated Pasta there is!

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Gazpacho

Two of my favourite things about summer is fresh corn and vegetable soups. On hot summer days, it is Gazpacho Soup.

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Ingredients

• 1 Cucumber, Peeled, Seeded
  1 Green Pepper, Seeded
  1 Onion
  1/3c Parsely
  2.5lbs Tomatoes, Peeled & Seeded
  1c Tomato Juice
  1/4c Red Wine Vinegar, alternative is Rice Wine Vingear
  3 Tbsp Olive Oil (the best oil you have on the shelf)
  2 Garlic Cloves.
  1/2 Jalapeno, seeded. Alternative is a Popano

Steps

• Finely chop the cucumber, onion, parsley and green pepper.
• Add to final serving bowl.
• Finely chop ripe tomatoes.
• Add to bowl.
• Add in vinegar.
• Add in olive oil.
• Add in garlic.
• Add in jalapeno.
• Add in tomato juice.
• Stir well
• Refrigerate for next day.