Soup weather (or keeping warm)

Recipes: Tomato-carrot soup, Grilled cheese sandwiches

I'm late posting this week because I was traveling in Oregon, a bit north of here and a bit further along in the changing of seasons. It was cool, and raining off and on. In fact, Oregon made me remember how much I love soup weather!

Even more so than winter, fall weather is soup weather to me. Hot soup in a thermos is wonderful at football games, or after a chilly late fall run. Or in a protected cove on the beach, or even on your own front porch, watching the rain come down. Hey, soup can be downright romantic!

Here's a fabulous soup that's good for you and very easy to make. And I can't think of anything better with tomato soup than grilled cheese sandwiches - like simple panini. Even cold grilled cheese, perhaps carried along to the beach as mentioned above, is delicious dipped into hot soup from the thermos. Yum!

Tomato-Carrot Soup

You may still have fresh ripe tomatoes in the kitchen, as I do, but for this soup I'd choose canned tomatoes.

• White part of 2 leeks, chopped, or 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups (about 1/4 pound) carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 28 oz can plum tomatoes or chopped tomatoes, drained
• 1 1/2 cups tomato juice
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• Freshly ground black pepper

In a large saucepan, cook leeks (or onions) and carrots in butter over low heat until softened. Add remaining ingredients and simmer, covered, 30 to 40 minutes.

Let cool a bit. Then puree in batches in a food processor or blender. Or puree with a hand-held stick blender (one of my favorite tools!!). With it, you can puree soups right in the pot, so it's a lot less messy. Here's what one looks like:

 

After it's pureed, reheat the soup and serve it, or pour it into a thermos you've preheated with hot water. This recipe is generous for 2, but I'd make the whole thing and take it all along if you're going to be outside in the cold and your thermos is big enough. It will disappear like magic!

 

Otherwise you can reduce the ingredients exactly by half to produce just enough for two. Tomato-Carrot soup freezes well, though, so it really makes sense to make the whole recipe and freeze half, or whatever you have left, for next time . 

 

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

 Grilled cheese sandwiches are so easy! Take 2 slices of good bread - sour dough or whole grain - and cut slices of cheese to go between. I like sharp cheddar and/or jalapeno jack. You can really use whatever you want to, including brie or havarti, or even blue cheese. Butter the outside of the sandwich on one side.

 

Heat a heavy frying pan over medium heat. Lay the sandwich in the hot pan, buttered side down. Grill for about 3 minutes, until the cheese starts to melt. Butter the top side of the sandwich, and turn it over. Grill again for 2 or 3 minutes. Take it out of the pan and cut it in half. You're done!

 

Or, you can be creative! Put a thin slice of ham and a couple of leaves of arugula in with the cheese. Or add a thin slice of tomato on top of the cheese. Or, if you are using some fancy cheese like brie, add thin slices of pear. The key is to keep the slices of whatever you add thin, so the cheese can melt in with it and it doesn't overwhelm the cheese. Then enjoy with your lovely tomato soup.

 

Happy Fall!!