Thursday, October 22, 2009

Tomato and Greens Soup


I finally pulled the last of the tomatoes and fresh basil from my garden tonight.  One of the reasons I love California is because I can say things like that in late October.  With the last of my sungolds and basil, I made this soup.  All I seem to eat these days is greens, soup and pasta.  This soup is all three in one.  Perfect! 

Tomato and Greens Soup (serves two)

2 tbsp. olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 heaping cup of baby tomatoes
2 spring onions, diced (whites and green kept separate)
2 cups water
1 tsp. chicken base (I recommend Penzey's)
2/3 cup small pasta (I used orecchiette)
1 cup frozen spinach, slightly defrosted
Handful of fresh basil
2 tbsp. ground parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat.  Add the baby tomatoes whole, along with the minced garlic, spring onion whites, 1/2 tsp. salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Cover the pot and let the tomatoes burst, which should take about 3-5 minutes.  Once a nice sauce has formed in the bottom of the skillet, add the water and chicken base.  Bring to a simmer, then add the pasta.  Cover the pot and let the pasta cook until done.  Stir in the spinach, torn basil leaves, spring onion greens, and salt and pepper to taste.  Ladle into bowls and top with parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

2 comments:

  1. This sounds like a wonderful soup... Hearty, but not heavy. It would be very easy to make vegan, too! :)

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  2. Mmmm this soup looks good, thanks for sharing!!

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