Dish of the Day & Emergency Tomato Soup
We all have those days. I've had a lot of them lately ... mostly due to the fact that it just rained here continuously for about 2 weeks. I know, all you out there living in Vancouver or Seattle or Portland - who am I to complain? Brisbane gets 300+ sunny days a year! (and yes, now I'm bragging ... )
But when I lived in Vancouver, I didn't have a 3 year old. And the rain wasn't of the torrential tropical variety. It makes a big difference, trust me.
So we've had a bit of cabin fever, necessitating a bit more TV than I'm comfortable with ... and new thrift-shop toys coming out of the closet before I'd planned ... but we've survived. And in part - thanks to this soup.
There's something about cold, rainy days that makes me want tomato soup. I'm sure it's because I got a lot of it as a kid - with grilled cheese, of course. But I don't usually stock cans of soup ... and on one particular day when my craving was undeniable there no way was I bundling Nelle up and driving through the pouring rain to the supermarket. I did, however, have passata.
Hence, Emergency Tomato Soup was born.
Serves 3-4
15 min prep + cooking time
Ingredients
1 800 mL jar organic passata
400 mL water (that's half the jar)
1-2 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp sea salt
a few basil leaves, torn
1 Tbs sour cream
a palm-ful of parmesan or pecorino for sprinkling on top
1. Combine all the ingredients except for the basil, sour cream and cheese in a saucepan and warm over med heat until hot. Add the basil and sour cream.
2. Serve up, with grilled cheese or simply warm bread with butter. Sprinkle each portion of soup with cheese. Enjoy!
Jars of passata are on sale right now at one of my fave organic shops - for $2.49. So it's a terrific time to STOCK UP! Passata is a fail-safe to have around the house for near-instant meals. I prefer it to tinned tomatoes, though it's essentially just unadulterated tomato puree. But it comes in glass jars that are great for storage.
I grew the basil, and the rest of the ingredients probably came to $2 - that cheese can be expensive sometimes. We'll say my soup came to $4.50 or so, for 100% organic tomato soup.
Where, are you wondering, is the thrifted dish? Well, my mother in law talked me into buying these ones, featured above with soup (temporarily) in them. I love them. They're oven-safe, with a touch of classic-rustic to them. Is that even a style? Probably not, but it's the combination I like best!
So bundle up, turn on the fireplace (if you've got one) and make some soup. Oh, and check out some other great thrifty finds!
Amanda xx
But when I lived in Vancouver, I didn't have a 3 year old. And the rain wasn't of the torrential tropical variety. It makes a big difference, trust me.
So we've had a bit of cabin fever, necessitating a bit more TV than I'm comfortable with ... and new thrift-shop toys coming out of the closet before I'd planned ... but we've survived. And in part - thanks to this soup.
There's something about cold, rainy days that makes me want tomato soup. I'm sure it's because I got a lot of it as a kid - with grilled cheese, of course. But I don't usually stock cans of soup ... and on one particular day when my craving was undeniable there no way was I bundling Nelle up and driving through the pouring rain to the supermarket. I did, however, have passata.
Hence, Emergency Tomato Soup was born.
***********
Emergency Tomato Soup
Serves 3-4
15 min prep + cooking time
Ingredients
1 800 mL jar organic passata
400 mL water (that's half the jar)
1-2 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp sea salt
a few basil leaves, torn
1 Tbs sour cream
a palm-ful of parmesan or pecorino for sprinkling on top
1. Combine all the ingredients except for the basil, sour cream and cheese in a saucepan and warm over med heat until hot. Add the basil and sour cream.
2. Serve up, with grilled cheese or simply warm bread with butter. Sprinkle each portion of soup with cheese. Enjoy!
***********
How much did this cost me?
Jars of passata are on sale right now at one of my fave organic shops - for $2.49. So it's a terrific time to STOCK UP! Passata is a fail-safe to have around the house for near-instant meals. I prefer it to tinned tomatoes, though it's essentially just unadulterated tomato puree. But it comes in glass jars that are great for storage.
I grew the basil, and the rest of the ingredients probably came to $2 - that cheese can be expensive sometimes. We'll say my soup came to $4.50 or so, for 100% organic tomato soup.
**********
Dish of the Day
Where, are you wondering, is the thrifted dish? Well, my mother in law talked me into buying these ones, featured above with soup (temporarily) in them. I love them. They're oven-safe, with a touch of classic-rustic to them. Is that even a style? Probably not, but it's the combination I like best!
So bundle up, turn on the fireplace (if you've got one) and make some soup. Oh, and check out some other great thrifty finds!
Amanda xx
Hello there! I spotted this on foodgawker and it looks divine. I've been craving some tomato soup for the past few weeks so I'm so glad I saw this! Thanks for posting-- I am off to find some passata. ;)
ReplyDeleteLiLi
Hope you enjoy it LiLi! :)
ReplyDeleteyum! i think i need a dose of that soup! it looks great. I haven't bought passata in a while, i must get some next time i'm shopping - i usually stock up on the canned tomatoes when they are on sale. I seem to add them to lots of my cooking, but oddly i can't stand the chunky bits of tomato!
ReplyDeleteI see you suggest pairing the soup with grilled cheese. There is, in my most humble opinion, no greater combination when it comes to curing sadness, the common cold, or a lingering rainy spell. I bet tomorrow the sun will peek through.
ReplyDeleteKat - do it! I hope you're feeling better, too :)
ReplyDeleteCheryl, oh yes ... Mom's grilled cheese and tomato soup. Almost worth getting sick for ...