Okay readers, any food resolutions this year? I have one: Up our veggie intake. I've written before that since DH and I don't always like the same vegetables, I can be a little lax about serving them around here. But this year I'm going to make a bigger effort to find common ground, get us out of our peas/sweet potatoes/salad rut, and make vegetables have a bit more of a starring role at the dinner table. Added bonus - searching out more vegetable ideas and recipes gives me something to write about!
I got a jump start tonight. I made one of our favorites, homemade tomato soup, for dinner. But I upped the nutrition a smidgen by adding some of the carrots that Rudolph and friends didn't polish off last Friday night. It was great with the carrots - just slightly sweeter, but if I hadn't told you, you would never have known. I've posted the recipe before, but here it is updated, with the carrots included. This makes 8 large servings.
Classic Tomato Soup
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons tomato paste (I like Muir Glen brand)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
32 ounces chicken stock
2 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes in juice (My favorite tomatoes for this soup are the Cento brand tomatoes)
In a large dutch oven, melt the butter and add the olive oil. Add onion, carrot, salt and pepper, cook for 5-7 minutes. Stir in flour and tomato paste and cook for another minute. Add thyme, broth, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Use your immersion blender to puree the soup, making it as chunky or as smooth as you prefer. I actually like mine pretty smooth. Taste for seasonings - need more salt and pepper? Add it in. Serve hot. (Note - when I give this to my boys, I actually mix it with some milk, roughly 1/4 cup milk and 1/2 cup of soup. It cuts the acidity, making it a more mellow taste, and cools it off).
Perfect on these chilly nights we've been having!
