The weather is still all wonky and today it's chilly again. Yesterday we had a high of 81 and today 60 if we're lucky, plus blustery 50 mph gusts of stinging wind. Warm soup is where it's at on days like this. Well, actually, on most any days a good tasty bowl of soup seems good for the soul. I need some of that too; some of that soul healing stuff. The past few days have been rough- feeling awfully blue and neglecting to do anything productive about it. I was alone all week and then weekend, too, so that didn't help. I should have forced myself to go see someone (aside from the friendly staff at Swim Cafe). Thankfully, one of my forever-friends Amy just so happened to stop in Swim Cafe while I was "doing homework" and we chatted a bit. Otherwise, I don't think I would have had a meaningful conversation with 1 person (do the dogs count?) this whole weekeend. It was good to see her and we agreed, as we normally do, that too much time had passed and we should get together soon... sigh. And- ARGH.So all in all, I had a fairly unproductive weekend of minimal homework, tons of PBS movie watching, half-assed house cleaning, only one (lazy) bike ride and more PBS movie watching. At least there were awesome thunderstorms and a soup to be made. And this soup- well, damn. It's tasty! And to continue climbing out of the blueness I am doing something else I enjoy- sharing my tasty food with anyone that wants to share!
I love garlic. I think I've mentioned this before. And I like spicy. Again, pretty sure I have expressed this already. So you can imagine that this soup is going to have both of these exciting elements to its base. The following herb and spice ingredients were not necessarily measured as carefully as they may seem. I think when it comes to spices, it's really up to the Chef at the time and their individual preference for flavor. So, please keep that in mind moving forward with this recipe.
½ C Celery leaves & small stalks chopped
4 Shallots, about 3 cups separated
4 Garlic cloves
2 ½ C strained tomatoes (I buy them jarred to avoid the BPA lining in the can)
2 ½ C Almond, Soy, Coconut (not the Thai kind), or other milk alternative
1 T Italian Seasoning
1 tsp Olive oil
¼ tsp Salt
½ tsp Black pepper
½ tsp Cracked red pepper
1 T Corn Starch
Make It
Spray a large piece of foil with oil cooking spray. Separate and peel shallots and garlic, leaving them mostly whole. Wrap in the foil and roast in the toaster oven at 400-425 for 30 minutes covered, then uncovered for another 20 minutes to brown.
Meanwhile, start the soup base. Add the oil, spices, and celery to a soup pot or large sauce pan. Heat over medium heat and cook, stirring well. When celery is softened add the tomatoes and milk*. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer and cover.
When the shallots and garlic are finished cooking, slice shallots into large strips and chop the garlic. Add these to the soup. Bring to a rolling boil and add 1 T diluted corn starch to thicken and make a bisque.
What? WHAT? WHAT?
Yes, I know. It really IS that simple! And so yummy! This would go well with a tasty grilled cheese or some other toasted sandwich, maybe just a hearty roll or something to add a little protein. Otherwise, it's pretty nutritiously sound and definitely easy on the calories.
Enjoy!
Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Serving size = 1.5 C Bowls
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 173.7
Total Fat: 3.2 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 304.4 mg
Total Carbs: 32.4 g
Dietary Fiber: 3.5 g
Protein: 5.2 g
Vitamin A 47.7 %
Vitamin B-10.0 %
Vitamin B-6 23.2 %
Vitamin C 63.1 %
Vitamin D 15.6 %
Vitamin E 32.2 %
Calcium 20.7 %
Folate 11.3 %
Iron 12.8 %
Zinc 3.6 %
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs and as calculated by the www.sparkpeople.com recipe calculator
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