Monday, January 25, 2010

Soup Person [RECIPE]

Hello world, I am a Soup Person.

Did you know there were Soup People and Non-Soup People?

Yeah, me neither. I just assumed all people ate soup since, you know, it's soup and not, like, foie gras or veal or something all controversial with its own blood-throwing advocacy group or whatever.

In addition to being labeled a Soup Person (which I'm fine with, by the way, this wasn't like being labeled a Snooty Bitch, which I might very well be but don't want to necessarily be labeled), I've come to further label myself as a Tomato-based Soup Person.

Why all the labels? Well. Why the hell not AND it's one of those little things Bubba and I learned about each other after we moved in together and the wintertime came and I started making things like minestrone and chicken soup (which, yes, does not include tomatoes, but go with me, here) and he would get all, "Yeah, OK. I'll eat it." rather than, "Fuck yeah I want chicken soup!" which is what I was expecting.

See, when we moved in together, there were shockingly few things we didn't see eye-to-eye on, so this was a big discovery. I realize people have bigger relationship/marital discoveries than soup preferences, but we haven't had many, so this counts. For us.

Friends, Bubba is a Cream Soup Person.

Weird.

So, when I was all, "Fuck yeah, it's raining and I'm making chicken soup and this is going to be perfect!", he was thinking, "Fine. I'll eat this woman's chicken soup and then I'll sneak into the kitchen and make broccoli cheese soup or some other creamy business that will illicit my current response from HER next time. Take that!"

Ok, so it probably wasn't that malicious, since Bubba's such a nice guy and barely ever sneaks into the kitchen to make creamy business (enjoy that last comment for a moment), but I definitely get more excitement from him when I produce a baked potato soup than when I emerge triumphantly from the kitchen with a perfectly recreated bowl of my mom's chicken soup.

Not that it matters to me at that point because I'm already head down in the bowl, but I register the lackluster response nonetheless.

Anyway, the point of all this Tomato-based Soup Person vs Creamy Soup Person (there are also, I've learned, Broth Soup People, Chunky Soup People, Seafood Soup People and Bisque People) is that I made a tomato-based soup that we both liked and which I've now eaten four nights in a row without starting to hate it.

Those are a lot of miracles for one soup, people, and I'll ask you to recognize the significance.

The original recipe came from a chef at my office who so kindly indulged my begging after I had the soup for lunch and decided immediately that I must make it and have it for four nights in a row.

I then adjusted the recipe, or so I thought, to accommodate the smaller crowds at my house (2) rather than the hoards of folks at the cafe for lunch (150+).

Plus, my adjustments also meant that the soup was thicker, rather than ahem, soupier, and sort of approached the creamy sensation Bubba's always looking for. This was because I omitted the 1/2 gallon of vegetable broth the original recipe called for. So you know. In case you want to serve this soup to your whole neighborhood OR want a soupier, um, soup.

What it comes down to is that I do most of the cooking, and I like tomato-type soups and Bubba will eat most anything anyway, so when I decide I'm going to make something that may not be his exact #1 choice of whatever, I have to find some way to make it seem like it's for both of us when really it's mostly for me and my desire to relive my lunch soup fantasies.

I know. I'm a sick person. With a small life. And boring fantasies.

OK, all Soup Person rambling aside, allow me to share with you my amended recipe so that you may serve it four nights in a row, or perhaps only one night in a row if you have a family of 10, and maybe most people will like it even if they're staunch Creamy Soup People like Bubba.

Freaks.


Chickpea and Tomato Soup
Original Recipe by Dennis Feray, Pure Ingredients Cafe
My changes in BOLD


Ingredients
2 cans of chickpeas (drained and rinsed well)
24 frozen whole homegrown tomatoes, thawed, skins removed, crushed (or 32 oz of canned, crushed tomatoes. Wendy says Muir Glen tomatoes are a good substitute for homecanned.)
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T ground coriander
1 bunch of cilantro, washed & chopped
1 bunch of parsley, washed & chopped
3 oz butter
Juice from 1 lemon
1 jalapeno seeded and minced (FOR GODSAKE - WEAR GLOVES)



1/2 jar of sliced HOT jalapenos, drained
Kosher salt & black pepper to suit

To make
In a Large stock pot, on medium heat, sauté onions in all of the butter until translucent, add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 min.

If that's not the start of a fabulous meal, I don't know what is.


 Add coriander, cilantro, parsley, jalapeno (fresh and canned) and sauté for about 2 min.

This soup is also awesome if you're feeling choppy with your new knives.


Then add tomatoes and chick peas.

Bubba: "No tomatoes are as good as OUR tomatoes." but I still encourage you to make this soup.


Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.

Don't you just want to put your face in there? I know. Me too.


Simmer for about an hour and then remove from heat.

Add lemon juice and puree soup with a immersion blender. Season to your taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with a parsley garnish and, if you're fancy and fabulous, a swirl of olive oil.
If you're EXTRA FABULOUS and/or serving this to me, for some reason, swap the olive oil for truffle oil and let the swooning begin.

Proceed to defend the Tomato-based Soup empire.

Oh - almost forgot - I had this last night with with a toasted pita filled with melted cheddar and goat cheese and it was pretty fucking good, so I recommend that, too. You know, if you're ever serving it to me and want me to get all swoony.

Also, there was gin, but I doubt that was related to the swooning. It was more to blame for my early 8pm bedtime.

That's all.

20 comments:

  1. YUM

    but what kind/how many tomatoes do I use if I don't have any frozen homegrown ones?

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  2. Elizabeth - Sorry, doll - I put up an update just for you: use about 32 oz of crushed canned tomatoes instead. :)

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  3. Man Finny, we need a soup warning or something. The wind is howling through the chimney and it's freezing here -- and that soup looks divine! And what a fabulous use for your frozen tomatoes!

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  4. Sounds delicious! But is it spicy hot with all those jalapenos? Cause my stomach, she no can do spicy hot...

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  5. Thinking of tomato-based soups, I am totally in love with French onion soup with tomato added in. Mmmmmmmmm.

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  6. i'm totally a soup person. in fact, we are all soup people around here, and not cream-based (gag), but usually tomato, too, with the obvious exception of chicken soup.

    very excited to make this soup. there is a similar recipe in the whole foods veg cookbook that includes addling dumplings (!) to this concoction. delightful. but what if i don't have an immersion blender? it does give me an excuse to go get one, but just in case . . .

    and your line about boring fantasies totally made me laugh aloud. you are so funny. and i needed a good laugh (not at your expense, of course. more of an appreciation). so thanks.

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  7. I'm a nonsoup person (SHOCKER) and Matt will eat anything. Which is fabulous because I have no time or desire to figure out what he prefers. But I do know he likes tomato soup with an entire sleeve of saltine crackers. So it's like tomato baby food which, coincidentally, would be cheaper. And if I caught MAtt making "creamy business" in the kitchen? I would be enjoying the accomodations of the State Pen. Visit me. :)

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  8. Well. I am NOT a Soup Person. I think I'm more a "bread dipped in soup" person. That is, I enjoy soup much more as a dip than as a meal. This is not to say I don't make soup, because I do. Sometimes, it's what the ingredients I have around call for, and so I make soup. Though I definitely lean towards chunky soups that are more like stews.

    And my husband? Actually makes VERY SAD FACES if he hears we're having soup for dinner. Definitely not a soup person. Unless it was, like, pure pureed meat or something. And that would be gross.

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  9. Yum! I am a "soup person" as well. I am going to make this.

    I have read your blog quite often and enjoy what I see!

    Digs Mama

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  10. I am a definite soup person. Joe is, too, thankfully. We are raising our kids to be soup people.

    I think this soup looks wonderful, but sadly my family doesn't appreciate tomatoes as much as I do.

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  11. This looks wonderful and will appear on my table soon.
    Jenny

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  12. Anna - Right? Look at those friggen tomatoes! I'm such a proud mama right now.

    Claudia - It's actually not spicy at all. I don't really know where all those fucking jalapenos went in the damn soup because I can't taste them. So I add in fresh chopped jalapenos when I'm heating it up to add the spice. But you shouldn't do that on account of your angry belly.

    Galadriel - French onion soup with tomatoes? Tell me more.

    Melissa - If you don't have an immersion blender and don't just run out and get one (you should get one, they're the best) you can always spoon this into your blender to puree it. Meanwhile, I like this idea of adding dumplings. Bubba would be SUPER excited to find dumplings in anything.

    Sara - Poor Matt. No creamy business in the kitchen. Boo. ;)

    Kris - What is this? You mean there's something we don't have exactly in common?

    *shock*horror*fright*

    Well, I knew there were people like y'all out there. Though I'll just pretend I didn't read that part about pureed meat soup because, whoa, nasty.

    I think I'd get the VERY SAD FACE if I served soup without bread though. That's a rule I didn't mention - but one that holds true at our house. It's how I rationalize soup as a meal and make Bubbas's face happy.

    "We're having soup for dinner. *neutral face* And I baked some bread. *happy face* And the salted butter has been softening on the counter all day. *Excited face*"

    Our lives are small.

    TRB Holt - Hi Dig's Mom!

    This is a great soup, especially if you like tomatoes and chickpeas and don't usually get to blend them together in one dish. They are good buddies :)

    Enjoy!

    Lera - Really??

    I can't comprehend...what do you eat in the summer...what do they eat instead?

    I'm confused.

    Jenny - And then you can come back and tell us how it was? I would love that a lot.

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  13. This is the funniest blog I've read in a long time. Maybe ever. I am not a soup person but I do make (and eat) a killer homemade chicken. Love the garden posts, too.

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  14. I am a soup person; this recipe looks so good. Alas, I cannot get past the imagine of Andy making creamy business in the kitchen.

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  15. I'm definitely a soup person - and this looks fabulous! I'm also a chickpea person - love them. So I will definitely be making this soup.

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  16. I first had tomato-tasting French onion soup at Outback--really tasty and flavorful stuff. They've apparently changed their recipe, though, so it's not as good anymore. So I set out to make something like it.

    Being the heathen philistine that I am, I made a crock pot full of sliced onions with cubed beef bouillion and added one can of condensed tomato soup (and some celery seed, paprika, and black pepper). I thought it was *fantastic* (and it's also been a hit with my family/in-laws)--but I bet it would be even better with real tomatoes or better beef stock.

    More details here from my first experiment, if you're curious:
    http://ladygzb.livejournal.com/220431.html

    Mmmm, soup. I am definitely a soup person, though I don't really distiguish; I like almost all soups. Give me brothy, tomato-ey, or creamy--or bean-y, or stew-y--I love them all.

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  17. Jeff's been making a lot of soup lately, both with cream and regular. It's been fantastic. I will have to make this for him. Oh, and the pita with cheddar and goat cheese... That sounds so great that I'd eat it for breakfast!

    And good idea on the gloves. I always just avoid mucus membranes for several hours.

    Also, I feel compelled to mention (probably not for the first or last time) that Muir Glen tomatoes make an excellent substitute for Finny and Bubba's homegrown ones. I think. Not that I've had yours, but Muir Glen's are fantastic. Almost overwhelmingly tomatoey flavor.

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  18. dammit woman, you nearly ruined my computer! I was reading and drinking water and then I got to teh "creamy business" part and it hit my funny bone. thanks for a good laugh. sad to say, I am not a tomatoey soup person so this may be beyond delectable, but it looks like vomit to me.

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  19. This looks fabulous Finny - which is why I've had the page open for days, LOL. I'm always looking for soup recipes that don't call for stock, since once in a while I do run out of my homemade stash in the freezer. And you know I LOVE chickpeas. ;)

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  20. Man, am I starting to sound like some sort of perv, or what?

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Sucks, right?

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