Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Soup? Yes, please.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Adapted from Joyful Healthy Eats

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 10-12 Roma Tomatoes, seeds removed
• 1 teaspoon olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil
• 1 large Onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 28oz. can of crushed tomatoes
• ¼ cup of sun-dried tomatoes, diced
• 4 cups of low sodium chicken broth
• 1 ½ cups of fresh basil
• ¼ cup of cream cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.

Sprinkle tomatoes with olive oil and season with salt.Roast tomatoes for 40 minutes.

In a 6-quart stockpot over medium high heat, add coconut oil, onions and crushed red pepper. Sauté onions until translucent {about 5-7 minutes}.

Add garlic, stir for 30 seconds and add crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and sun-dried tomatoes.

Bring to a boil, then add roasted tomatoes and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Add basil and cream cheese to pot and stir until the cream cheese is completely melted.

Blend soup until smooth. (I used my immersion blender but you could also take the soup out in portions and put it in a blender.)

Pairs great with grilled cheese sandwich 🙂

Bacon, Brussels Sprouts & Beer Mac’n’Cheese

 

Oh, what a holy trinity of B’s–bacon, brussels sprouts and beer. Then throw in some smoked gouda, smoked fontina and garlic breadcrumbs and how could you go wrong? That’s right, you can’t. Enjoy 😉

Ingredients:

Adapted from How Sweet It Is

1 pound of cooked macaroni
6 slices of bacon, chopped
1 shallot, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 pound of brussels sprouts, stems removed and sliced/chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk + 1 cup beer (something delicious like a nice ale or IPA–there’s a time and a place for light beer but this is not it)
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces smoked gouda cheese, freshly grated
4 ounces smoked fontina cheese, freshly grated
2 ounces parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
cayenne pepper (to taste)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat a large, 12-inch oven-safe skillet oven medium-low heat and add bacon. Cook until crispy. Add in the shallot, half of the garlic and brussels spouts, stirring well to coat. Cook until the brussels soften, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and toss the pasta in with the brussels.

  

To make the cheese sauce, heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add the butter. Once it’s sizzling, whisk in the flour to create a roux and cook until it is golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the milk, beer and the cream, stirring the entire time and cook until it is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

  

Stir in the fontina, gouda and parmesan, stirring until the cheese is melted.  

Stir in the nutmeg and cayenne. Once the cheese is melted, pour it over the pasta in the skillet and toss well to coat.

   

In another skillet heat 1T butter and 1T olive oil. Add the other half of the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the panko breadcrumbs and cook until lightly browned. 

Distribute evenly over pasta. Top with additional cheese if needed and sprinkle with cayenne pepper. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbly.

       

Zuppa Toscana Soup

Yum Yum Yum. Soup. ‘Nough said.

Ingredients:

1lb Spicy Italian Sausage
10 red potatoes, slice into thin rounds
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic (chopped) p.s. never actually take my garlic suggestions seriously. I always use a lot but then when I’m providing recipes I pick a number that seems reasonable. But my garlic-radar could be terribly wrong for you. 
4-5 cups chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 bunches kale, torn into pieces
red pepper flakes
Pecorino romano (optional)

Side Note: Liquid amounts are totally a matter of personal preference. So add liquid slowly and feel free to change the ratios of chicken broth, milk, heavy cream to your own liking. 

Directions:

Heat oil on stove. Sautee onions and garlic until translucent.

Add sausage and brown (if you’re sausage is really oily, you may want to drain it)

Add chicken stock and milk and bring to just under a boil. Turn heat down, add potatoes, place cover over pot and simmer until potatoes are tender (approximately 20 minutes)

Add kale and mix well.

Turn off heat. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes then add heavy cream.

Serve warm with optional roman cheese on top.

Just delightful.