Lunch addiction (Simple Butternut Squash Soup)

This week I've been craving soup for lunch.  Yesterday I made up a pseudo batch of Epicurious's Winter Squash Soup.   I say pseudo because I didn't have all of the ingredients on hand.  Turns out it didn't matter because the base ingredients are so good you don't actually need all of the bits and bobs.

I highly recommend making the original soup - it's fantastic.  But if all you've got is a squash, an onion, some chicken broth and dried thyme you can still totally pull it off by throwing it all in a pot and calling it good.

Easy & Simple Butternut Squash Soup

1 onion diced. (Side note - I just recently learned how to properly cut an onion "the easy way".  Total "doh" moment check out this link for details.)

4 cups peeled butternut squash cut into 1 inch dice (My peeler worked great for this chore.)

2 cloves of garlic, pressed. (I use pre-pressed garlic blend from a tube, I know, I know...)

Olive oil

Dried thyme and Sage (if you don't have the sage, just double the thyme)

Chicken broth.

Sugar

Saute the onion and garlic until soft. Add the squash and 1/2 teaspoon each of the spices. Just cover with chicken broth.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to low.  Simmer for 20-30 minutes until squash is very tender.

Use blender or potato masher to get soup to a smooth consistency.  (I used the potato masher, less messy, it made a great rustic style soup.)

Stir in 1 teaspoon of sugar.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

I like to add a little shredded cheese to mine for a yummy weekday, kids are all off at school, there's only two loads of laundry left and the sun is out, lunch.

Like I said, if you have all of the ingredients then you should totally make the original recipe.  I don't usually have cream or fresh herbs on hand so I had to make due.  Believe me, I was hardly suffering!

Tomato Soup for Breakfast at Tiffany's...A Recipe

I know what you are thinking - there's gotta be a story there.  And you'd be right, there's ALWAYS a story ❈  

Last week, after a walk with a girlfriend, we stopped off at Nordstrom for a bite in the Cafe. She raved about the tomato soup and so ultimately we split her soup and my salad.  Admittedly I had not ever liked tomato soup, but that may have something to do with only having been served Campbell's and whatever the elementary school cafeteria ladies were dishing out.  But this soup - it was kind of mind blowingly (totally a word, work with me) awesome.  A conversation ensued - Wouldn't it be the most perfect thing to eat on a dark rainy day while watching Breakfast At Tiffany's? Only one way to find out... ❈

Well, since I'd never really eaten tomato soup before you can bet I'd never tried to make it.  It took my friend the internet all of one second to bring up hundreds of recipes for the Nordstrom's Tomato Soup.  It looked easy enough, but that cream...  there must be a way to get a creamy soup without the cream, right?  My next thoughts went to Cooks Illustrated.  If anyone had tried it, it was them.  Bingo  - there it was.  But... yeesh, that's a lot of steps for a lazy busy girl like me...  What if I just sort of took the best of both recipes and put them together?  

It was easy.  It was delicious. And then, it was gone.  I'm making it again today and putting it in the freezer.  When that rainy day comes, and my girlfriend calls and says (and she's the awesome kind that will), "This is SO a tomato soup and Breakfast At Tiffany's kind of day.....".  I'll just smile to myself and say, "Be right over.".  ❈

This recipe is based on this recipe:

Nordstrom's Tomato Basil Soup

With modifications/changes based on this recipe:

Cooks Illustrated Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup

Tomato Soup for Breakfast At Tiffany's

• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2-3 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon dried basil, crushed
• 2 28-ounce cans whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes - which I learned recently are the only choice for canned tomatoes, and after having tasted them, it's totally true!
• About 2 cups good chicken broth
• One slice (or the equivalent, I used the inside of a baguette) of good white bread, crust removed
• Optional:
• 1 tbsp brown sugar to cut acidity
• Salt and pepper to taste 

In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add carrots and onion and cook until beginning to soften, 10 minutes, then add basil and cook until vegetables are completely soft, about 5 minutes more.

(I sauteed the onion but grated the carrot and steamed it for a few minutes instead so it would be softer faster and then added it to the sauteed onions.  Because of this I was able to use less olive oil due to the reduced volume in the saute, and this step took a lot less time - especially grating rather than chopping the carrots. I know, it's weird - you don't have to do it this way!)

Add tomatoes, broth,  and bread. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes, or up to 45 minutes if time permits. (I added the tomatoes and smashed them all up with a potato masher per Cooks Illustrated before adding the broth and small torn up pieces of the bread. About 1/2 hour into the simmer time the bread starts really breaking down....if soup tastes too acidic, Cooks Illustrated recommends adding 1 tbsp of brown sugar.)

After allowing soup to cool somewhat, purée in a blender or food processor until smooth, doing so in batches. Add additional chicken broth to thin if necessary (We thought it was just thick enough). Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm. (I did not feel like it needed any additional seasoning.)