Smoky Bean & Tomato Soup
Your feet are sore. Your back aches. Your eyes are a touch blurry. Your head is pounding. Your pedometer says you have taken over 15,000 steps but you have only covered about one square mile of actual real estate. But you are done, you have checked the list once, you have checked the list twice:
Little Timmy – Megazilla Dino-Robot Action Figure with Laser Guided Missiles
Suzy – Polly Waddle Doodle Dress Up Set complete with Glamo-rama Makeup
Cousin Eunice – Deluxe Foot Spa with Triple Action Shiatsu Massagers
Uncle Leon – A case of Beer and the new Ronco Pocket Fisherman
Aunt Enid – A new Faux Fur Lined Velveteen Robe and Matching Slippers
Mother-in-Law – Coal as black as her heart A New Four-Slot Toaster with Infinite Temp Settings
Father-in-Law – 64 Piece Socket Set with Leatherette Carrying Case
Mom – Citrus, Lavender, Rosemary, and Chamomile Bath and Body Scrub and Foot Wash
Dad – Membership in the Car Wax of the Month Club
Yes, you have successfully run the holiday gauntlet at the local shopping mall. All that is left is to drag the wrapping paper out of the attic and cover these amazing gifts in brightly colored ribbons and bows. Congratulations, your shopping is complete and you can rest easy… except you still have to cook dinner! Sure you can call for pizza or Chinese delivery, but who needs all those extra calories this time of year.
Instead, why not have a hot bowl of soup? I have a great recipe that is both hearty and easy to make. If you want, you can even skip a couple of steps without sacrificing any flavor. So, I give you my recipe for SMOKY BEAN AND TOMATO SOUP. Serve this soup with some crusty brown bread and you will have a satisfying meal sure to alleviate the stress of holiday shopping. If that doesn’t work, throw in one to twelve glasses of wine with dinner and call it a day.
Ingredients
- 1 Med Red Onion (peeled & sliced thick)
- 2 Pints Cherry Tomatoes (halved)
- 2 Med Carrots (peeled & chopped)
- 2 Ribs of Celery (chopped)
- 2 Tbs Roasted Garlic
- 3 15oz Cans of Cannellini Beans (rinsed & drained)
- 8 Cups Vegetable Broth
- 1 Cup White Wine
- 3 Tbs Fresh Thyme (minced)
- 2 Tsp Liquid Smoke
- Salt & Pepper to your taste
Instructions
Okay, the super quick and easy way to make this soup is to dump (yeah, it has been a long day so dumping is alright) the tomatoes, carrots, celery, garlic, beans, broth and wine into a large stock pot. Chop up your red onion and add this to the pot as well. Bring the mix to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer partly covered for 25-30 minutes or until the veggies are soft. Finish with the thyme and liquid smoke and simmer for another couple of minutes to allow the flavors to mix. Season to your taste with salt and pepper.
Now, the soup above is good, but if you want to add some real depth of flavor to this soup follow these instructions. Place the tomatoes and onion slices on a cookie sheet covered with cooking spray. Roast these veggies in a preheated 425 degree oven for 25 minutes or until the edges are nicely browned. While the veggies roast, add your carrots, celery, garlic, one can of beans, broth and wine to a large stock pot. Bring this mix to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer partly covered for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
Now, add your onion to the pot and puree the soup with your immersion blender or in batches with your blender or food processor. Puree until you have a nice creamy consistency. Then add in your remaining beans and roasted tomatoes along with the thyme and liquid smoke. Now simmer the soup for another 10-15 minutes or until all the flavors have combined. Finish the soup by seasoning to your taste with salt and pepper.
http://www.grassfedcarnivore.com/bean-and-tomato-soup/
Roasted Tomatoes
Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with a big thick slice of crusty brown bread. Leave the dishes in the sink for tomorrow. Then put your feet up, relax, sip your wine, and think about how excited everyone will be opening their presents. And revel in the hours Uncle Leon will spend off your couch and down at the local fishin’ hole this holiday season. Longer Letter Later.
A Bowl of Stress Relief
Love, Bob aka The Grassfed Carnivore
[…] Maybe it was the types of soup we ate? Maybe it was the methods of preparation? Maybe it was just my juvenile preconceived notion of what dinner should be? Whatever the reason, I was pretty sure prisoners ate heartier fare. But alas, time heals all and my prejudice and indifference toward soup has mellowed over the years. I have even blogged about potato & kale and smoky bean & tomato soup. […]