Summer Herb and Tomato Soup summer version Time: 30 minutes
With the abundance of herbs and tomatoes right now this is a perfect soup. It's a fresh, light and lovely first course. If you have any left, it will make a great lunch with some crusty bread...you can always add another tomato and a bit more stock to stretch it. Based on a Williams-Sonoma recipe.
2 garden ripe tomatoes
2 large shallots
2 cloves garlic
1 tbs olive oil
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
7 oz (210gr) white beans (cannellini)
1/4 cup very small pasta - elbow, shells, orzo, vermicelli, etc
2 tbs snipped fresh oregano
2 tbs snipped fresh basil, plus a few leaves for garnish
2 tbs snipped fresh parsley
1 tsp snipped fresh rosemary
1 tsp Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp olive oil - the good stuff
Finely chop shallots and garlic. Sauté in medium saucepan in olive oil over medium heat until soft and transparent, 7 - 10 minutes. Peel tomatoes and roughly chop. Add tomatoes to shallots and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse beans. Snip herbs. Add chicken stock, 7 oz (210 gr) beans, herbs and pasta, cover and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes so pasta doesn't stick. Remove from heat and serve, drizzling a bit of Balsamic and olive oil over each serving. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.
Note: Peel tomatoes by blanching in boiling water for 30 seconds first. The peels slip off easily.
Cooking for Two? Or more?
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