Soup for a Rainy Day

There’s nothing like tomato soup on a cold, rainy day. I long ago adopted the one from the now closed Red Cat Restaurant in NYC. I added my own croutons that I’ve been making forever and it was my top seller back when I had a small soup company.

Given the current weather in the Tri State area I thought it might be nice to share this beloved recipe today. Now it’s yours to make!

Soup Ingredients

Note - this soup is so good that I usually make it in HUGE quantities - I buy the huge plum canned tomatoes at Cosco or Restaurant Depot and just adjust the quantities accordingly. I wait until the soup has cooled down and then freeze it in quart and pint containers. Rarely do I have more than 1 or 2 containers.

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 small Onion or 1/2 medium one - diced finely

2 cloves Garlic - very thinly sliced - I’m more of a garlic lover than an onion lover so I might use 3 cloves and less onion.

1 -28 - oz can whole Peeled Tomatoes, with juices, crushed by hand

2 cups low sodium Chicken Broth

Parmigiano-Reggiano rind

Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper

Extra Olive Oil to drizzle on top at the End.

2 tablespoons each:  sliced Basil, Parsley & chopped Thyme (you can use dried in a pinch for all but fresh is better)

Garlic Croutons (see recipe below)

Grated Parmigiano

Directions

Heat olive oil in soup pot.  Add onion and garlic and saute until softend but not browned - about 4 minutes.  Add tomatoes, stock and Parmigiano cheese rind and simmer until cheese permeates the soup.  The original recipe says to take it out after 15 - 20 minutes but I like to let it simmer on very low for a long time and just leave it in the soup pot. Season w/ Koshe Salt & Pepper & stir in chopped Basil, Parsley & Thyme.  You can drizzle extra Virgin Olive Oil (VOO) on top if you want (I usually don’t) but alot of people like to.

If you like it smooth then puree it using an immersion blender or food processor but make sure you remember to take the rind out first!

Serve w/ Croutons & Grated Parmigiano cheese

Croutons:

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

3 cloves garlic - sliced thinly

Half a baguette, cut into 1/2 “ cubes

Again - I always make at least a whole baguette at a time and double this recipe. I swear, these croutons are always eaten just as is in my house - I’ve never had to throw them out! To keep, I put in a zippered bag with a paper towel and leave them.

Preheat oven to 350. 

Heat oil & butter together in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. 

When butter has melted, add garlic and let saute a bit.  Try to make sure that each cube has some butter on it.

Add bread cubes and mix well.  Place skillet in oven and bake until bread cubes are crisp - they should be slightly browned.  I like to add additional Salt & Pepper to them when they come out but remember I like things Salty!

Bake 15 - 20 minutes.  I like to make sure I absorb as much of the oil out of the croutons as possible so I line a bowl with paper towels and put the bread cubes into the bowl while they are still warm. This helps them stay crispy and non-greasy for a long time. Taste it - I like them salty so I usually add a light dusting of salt on them and then let them cool down. I keep them in a plastic bag in the fridge with a paper towel. To be honest, I’m not sure how long they last because we always eat them before they go bad!

To serve the soup - put some cubes in the bottom of a cup, ladle the soup on top of that, add some grated Parmigiano cheese.

Chow Bella!