First off, I want to say THANK YOU to all the readers who participated in my Muir Gourmet Giveaway this week! You guys are so great! I sure appreciate your kind words and enthusiasm. There will be more giveaways in the near future so stay tuned! Congratulation to Caroline Klein who was the winner of those fine specialty foods! You are going to love them. :)
Now, its time to talk about......
Soup. There is nothing more in line with fall than that. I look forward to soup season all year. Of course I do make soup other times of the year, but it just isn't the same as when it's a little crisp outside and you have a fire going. I just love fall. If there was a world where it was fall 50% of the time (paired with spring then a hint of summer) I would totally be in heaven. Fall in Utah is something special to behold. The colors on the east bench of the valley are magnificent. I absolutely love my quiet adventures driving up the canyon to soak up all the glorious yellows, oranges, reds and pinks! It is amazing. No wonder we all feel more grateful during fall....
I have obviously been on a soup kick for the last few weeks (as seen on my Instagram feed). I think I have made this Rosemary Tomato Cream Soup at least 3 separate times. Twice for my little family, and once for a girls weekend I hosted up at my cabin in Bear Lake. Each time I was thrilled by how EASY this soup is to make. It has a very rich and complex flavor, which is surprising since it is literally the most simple recipe I have ever created for a soup. If you are a soup beginner this would be a great place to start. Your significant other will think you are da bomb. (I know this phrase is sooo 90's but I still use it.)
If you want to really wow, slice up some artisan bread, drizzle it with some fine olive oil, salt and pepper and broil it to a nice crispy golden brown. That makes for some wicked good dipping. Since it is the Halloween and Thanksgiving season, I like to use pumpkin seeds to "decorate" my soup. (And the must-have, in my daughters eyes, Parmesan cheese.)
I know all my readers aren't parents to young and fickle eaters, but I thought I would impart a few of my dinner table tricks when it comes to soup. My kiddos love tomato soup, and many other varieties of soup for that matter, but they aren't always the little angels we would all hope for at the dinner table. Sometimes they are just too distracted by each other, that sound outside, what the dog is doing, their hair.... You catch my drift? So I try to get my little ones engaged and participating in the dishing up (cooking if possible) and eating process. When I am planning to serve soup for dinner I follow these two guidelines.
(1) Always serve it with something everyone loves (like bread).
(2) Have something to "decorate" their soup with that they will think is fun (like fishy crackers).
Rule one helps to alleviate (or hopefully eliminate) the "I hate that" reaction kids like to use on the regular. Since there is, in fact, something they want and enjoy eating being offered to them.
Rule two gets them engaged and excited to eat their beautiful creation. It gives them something to do (other than stuff their face or ignore their food entirely) that is acceptable at the dinner table. They are more likely to dive into the soup with their spoons (if only to "catch" a fishy cracker or two). This tricks them into eating! He he he. *tricky mom grin*. It works every time. You skip the I don't like this stage and heads right down the much happier (I'm eating and I didn't even make time to whine about it) road. Smiles all around.
Every time I have followed these two meal saving rules, dinnertime has been a success! The times I don't plan for that when serving soup, even if the soup is DANG good, it is less pleasing to their wee little eyes. Kids huh? So if you want your soup-tastic dinner to rock like it should, try these little pointers and see how it turns out! :) I hope that helps with some of your picky eaters.
A few of my kids other fave. "decorations" for their soup are: Fishy crackers, cheddar cheese, croutons, Frito's, crumbled crackers, wonton strips and cheesy bread pieces.
What are your kids favorite soup decorations?
When planning for this soup I try to remember to get San Marzano tomatoes if I am using canned tomatoes. They have such a rich flavor and work so well for soup.
First off, chop the red onion, minced the garlic and give a rough chop to the rosemary leaves. (Make sure to remove the stems from the rosemary.)
Next, melt butter in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add in the onions, garlic and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper at this time. Saute for 3-5 minutes, or until the onion becomes slightly translucent. Pour in the cream, San Marzano tomatoes, and chicken stock. Stir to combine.
Reduce heat to medium and let it simmer for 10 minutes to get things going.
Using a blender or immersion blending wand, blend the soup until very smooth. Return back into pot and simmer for another 15 minutes. Serve hot with shredded Parmesan cheese, pumpkin seeds and toasted artisan bread! Enjoy!
CLICK ON RECIPE TO VIEW A PRINTABLE JPG
xoxo
Laura
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