My aunt recently sent an email to my extended family inviting everyone over for “amazing tomato soup you don’t want to miss,” or something to that effect. Well, I didn’t want to miss the soup, but I had no choice since I live nowhere near any family! I knew I had to eat this soup one way or another. Thankfully she shared the recipe, saving me a few hundred dollars in airfare.

This Tuscan Tomato Soup is very yummy.  And easy to make! Quick disclaimer before you start thanking me for sharing a healthy recipe to complement your New Years diet resolutions. Um, yeah, there’s cream in it. But cream has protein and calcium, right? Are you with me, health gurus?

Tuscan Tomato Soup

 

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Prepared by Chef Kent Andersen from Chef’s Table in Orem, UT- modified by Jane Maynard (that’s me!)

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Main Dish, Soup

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Onion, Small dice
• 3 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes (original recipe: 5 Cups Diced and Seeded Tomatoes)
• 2 Cups Chicken Stock
• 1.5 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1 Cup Basil Pesto (Auntie Barb likes Target’s pesto better than Costco’s; I used Trader Joe’s, which was 1 oz short of a cup but still tasted great; you could always make it, I suppose)
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a medium large soup pot. Add onions and cook over moderately low heat until completely translucent. Add tomatoes and allow to warm to a simmer. Add chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer for 15 minutes to allow for interchange of flavors.
2. Add whipping cream. Add pesto.
3. Blend to desired consistency in a food processor or blender. (Barbara reserves a little bit of the soup un-blended so there are some chunks.) Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

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Happy New Year!  I think I’m going to start this year with a tray of fresh baked cookies. I just can’t help myself. Good thing I didn’t make any “no more cookies” resolutions.

This week I’ll have a few resolution-themed posts as well as another delectable Swedish recipe. We’re starting the new year off right!

MONDAY:
– Chicken salad sandwiches
– Guacamole and chips

TUESDAY:
– Pasta Primavera (recipe to come)

WEDNESDAY:
– A dinner salad of some sort…I’m going to browse the Croutons menu again, the BBQ chicken salad I copied from them was great!

THURSDAY:
– Leftovers

FRIDAY:
– Breakfast for dinner (either waffles or a fritata)

SATURDAY:
– Eat out

SUNDAY:
– Shepherd’s Pie

Okay, folks. Vacation is OVER. Get your menu plans together and please share! Remember, ALL menus are welcome, fancy or plain!

The other night Nate told me that I forgot to put the tomatoes in the fridge. To which I replied, “Don’t you read my blog? They shouldn’t go in the fridge!” But then I realized, I have only alluded to this tomato info once in a post about ripening avocados. So…I think a post on refrigerating tomatoes is in order!

One day while selecting tomatoes at the grocery store, I noticed a little sign hanging above the tomatoes. It said that tomatoes should never be refrigerated and (here’s where my memory gets fuzzy) there was something about the colder temperature affecting the sugars of the tomato, which changes the texture and makes them mushy and/or mealy.

I’ve done a little research and can’t find any good resources with information on this topic, in fact a lot of the information is conflicting. Often people say you shouldn’t refrigerate tomatoes because it reduces flavor. I actually don’t think this is the issue. The sign I read at the store didn’t say anything about flavor, but specifically talked about texture. Perhaps it’s a combo of both, who knows? Any tomato scientists out there?

Regardless, don’t put them in the fridge. They are affected and are much better stored at room temperature.  Also, putting tomatoes in the fridge will stop the ripening process (as with most fruits and vegetables), and most tomatoes I’ve purchased could always use a little more ripening.

That all said, once I cut into a tomato, I do refrigerate any leftovers. But I make an effort to only cut as many as I need and keep my tomatoes at room temperature for as long as possible.

If you want to read a few articles on the topic, click this link or this link.

If you do put your tomatoes in the fridge, I’m certain it won’t be the end of the world as we know it. But if you want your tomatoes to taste their best, keep them on the counter.

All this tomato talk (which, by the way, was much longer than I was planning on!) is making me happy we’re having tomato soup tonight! (And, yes, I’ll share that recipe with you later.)