Well guys…love it or hate it here’s the truth: Fall is in the air. Or maybe just on the calendar. Oh wait, was that Fall back in July? Either way, it started WAY too early this year and I’m not emotionally prepared. Bring on a little more summer please. And while we’re talking about summer let’s talk about life being just a little bit easier…
* cooking without a recipe *
Tell me, do you feel like you’ve become totally dependent on recipes being available at the click of a google or pinterest search? Could you shop for a meal without a list? Do you trust your instincts in the kitchen? How many dishes do you know how to make from memory?
don’t spend all your time standing here
So here’s where your life gets easy. I’m going to share with you this delicious homemade soup that you can make without a recipe. Because the bad news is that Fall (at least on the calendar) means most of us need to start preparing regular meals again. And when you’ve got to be putting dinner on the table every. single. night. it really helps to just know some meals by heart. Easier to shop, easier to plan, easier to cook. Trust me, it’s easier to pay attention and memorize this than print or save a recipe and look it up every time. If I can do it so can you.
garden-fresh deliciousness
I’ve already shared one dinner to memorize…do you remember the Easy Caprese Pasta? Only four ingredients, also including tomatoes and herbs. And this soup is the same idea. I’m going to call it five ingredients ‘cuz things like salt and pepper don’t count, right?
Tomatoes from the farmer’s market. Herbs from the container garden we planted here. So here we go…are you ready?
roasted tomatoes
garlic
herbs * rosemary, oregano, thyme or basil * fresh or dried
olive oil, salt & pepper
stock * chicken or vegetable
For every serving you’ll need one large tomato and one cup of stock. So two servings, two tomatoes, two cups…three servings, three tomatoes, three cups…got it?
So on a cookie sheet or two, you’ll put a layer of sliced tomatoes and garlic (either whole peeled cloves or chopped garlic from a jar, to taste), then sprinkle with dried herbs or some sprigs of fresh; a few shakes of salt & pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Bake it in the oven for about half an hour at 400°. Don’t rush it. Make sure the tomatoes are nicely caramelized and the edges are starting to blacken.
your kitchen smells amazing…
When it’s done, scrape all that yummy roasted goodness into a blender or food processor. Or if you’re lucky one of those Vitamix machines. Add your stock. My blender can hold about one cookie sheet full (approx. two large tomatoes) and two cups of stock. Blend away. We prefer this soup really smooth and creamy so I keep it blending forever. Tip: if you heat up the stock before adding it to the blender your soup will be done straight out of the blender. Just sayin’.
dinner is served
If you still need to, then heat it through on the stove and season to taste. And of course the perfect side to any tomato soup is grilled cheese, which you can make while the tomatoes are roasting in the oven. And if you happened to make too much soup, it will keep in the fridge for a couple of days. Just give it a good shake since it will separate after a while, and reheat.
leftovers
So, who’s with me on not using a recipe all the time? Are you brave enough to trust your own instincts in the kitchen? To deviate from the ingredients and instructions to make food the way YOU like it? If you’re nervous you can email me or FB message me and I’ll hold your virtual hand. But I think you can do it…I believe in you.
And if you have your own personal version of a homemade tomato soup please share…I’d love to try it. And let me know what you can make from memory too.
Happy adventures in the kitchen,
Sharing is lovely...
