One side benefit of cooking a turkey is that you can get some great stock out of the deal. Our Thanksgiving turkey was big enough that I divided the bones for stock between my slow cooker and Dutch oven, and I managed to get 3 liters of beautiful, thick stock out of it. And where there’s stock, there’s soup.
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Sweet corn has got to be one of the best things about late summer. I could eat it every day straight off the cob, but sometimes it’s fun to do other things with it – like putting it in a creamy chowder with smoked salmon. Recipe on the SeaChange blog!
I am not the biggest fan of raw tomatoes (something about the texture puts me off), but I do like tomato soup quite a bit – there’s nothing like Campbell’s tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich. I had half a can of tinned tomatoes and some ricotta in the fridge that I didn’t know what to do with, so I decided to make some tomato soup and top it with the ricotta. I consulted with my friend Martha and came up with this recipe – actually double what I originally made, because it barely made enough for Nate and me!
I added milk to make it a little bit creamy, but that is totally optional. Use whatever herbs you want – I used thyme while cooking, and garnished it with chives because I noticed that they are just starting to come up in my herb garden. I would still use a hardier herb, such as thyme or oregano, during the cooking, and garnish with something more delicate (or stir it in at the last minute). Nate suggested dill, which would be fantastic in the summer when it is fresh and growing everywhere! And of course, you can’t go wrong with the tomato basil combination 😉 I *LOVE* ricotta, but it could be replaced with sour cream, crème fraîche, or even cream cheese if you’re feeling adventurous.
Because this recipe calls for canned tomatoes, it’s a good idea to use really good quality canned tomatoes, rather than a no-name bargain brand. I used Unico brand, which is decent, but my favorite is an Italian brand. The tomatoes are much riper and the juice they are packed in is much tomato-y-er, and it’s only about 50 cents more than the bargain brand, which is worth it for the taste….
This recipe originally comes from a friend of my Mum. It’s one of my favorite comfort foods: simple, delicious, satisfying. It is good enough plain, but what makes it extra good is stirring toppings into your bowl of soup. I really like adding shredded cheese and hand-peeled shrimp. Crumbled bacon is also really good.
I don’t worry about exact measurements with this soup – it is very forgiving, and also versatile for substitutions and personal preference. Try adding a sweet potato and a spoonful of chipotle puree and top it with bacon and cheese for a Southwestern-ish version.
Use whatever type of potato you happen to have on hand. My favorite is Yukon Gold, but any kind will work. Look for leeks with as much white as possible, and clean them really well to remove any dirt that gets between the layers. To clean, remove the tough dark green parts, reserving the white and light green parts. Slice in half lengthwise first, the slice into semi circles. Place them in a large bowl of cold water and swish them around with your hands. Let it settle for a minute – the dirt will fall to the bottom of the bowl and the leeks will float on top. Scoop out the leeks, drain in a colander, and proceed with the recipe :)…