Saturday, January 17, 2009

Cream of Tomato Soup and Roasted Parsnips Fries

We needed a quick dinner on a very cold and dreary night. I was craving tomato soup. I found this quick recipe and realized we had everything we needed for it, so I whipped it up. We had cheese toast on the side and roasted some parsnips to go with it. The soup warmed us up and I am totally convinced that a little time roasting in the oven can turn any vegetable into a delicious treat.


Cream of Tomato Soup from Sara Moulton via the Food Network
Prep Time: 20 min Inactive Prep Time: 0 min Cook Time: 30 min
2 tablespoons butter (I used 1 Tbls olive oil)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small carrot, peeled and finely diced
2 tablespoons flour
2 pound fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, juices reserved (I used crushed tomatoes)
2 cups reduced-sodium canned chicken broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
1 cup light cream or milk (I used skim milk)
Salt and pepper
In a large nonreactive saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and carrot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes without allowing to color. Add tomatoes with their juices, broth, tomato paste, basil, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer stirring frequently, 15 minutes.
Remove and discard bay leaf. In a food processor or blender, puree soup in batches until smooth. Return to pan and stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes, and serve
Roasted Parsnip Fries
2 parsnips, cut into very small slices or pieces
1-2 Tbls olive oil
salt and pepper
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place parsnip fries on a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat all pieces evenly. Roast for 15-20 minutes, stirring once, or until crisp and golden.
Coming Tomorrow- A quick appetizer from Rachael Ray

10 comments:

The Blonde Duck said...

That's really cool! I've never heard of parsnip fries!

And I love Friday's scones!

Steph said...

mmm.. i love cream of tomato soup. I only made it homemade once using CI's version where they replace the cream or milk with bread. Sounds kind of gross, but it turned out ok.

I love how you seem to use every kind of vegetable out there and make such cool dishes!

The Food Librarian said...

both look soooo delicious! i love tomato soup!

Jenny said...

YUM on both recipes, I'm loving those healthy little fries. Tomato soup is my favorite. Great post!

The Food Hunter said...

I love tomato soup and the idea of parsnip fries is interesting.

Nancy/n.o.e said...

Boy, do I ever love tomato soup! This recipe looks fabulous, so it gets bookmarked. You're so good with your winter vegetables - so pretty and I'll bet yummy to boot.
Nancy

Maria said...

I have never made parsnip fries. Great idea. I can't wait to try them!

Anonymous said...

I love tomato soup. Usually I have it with a grilled cheese, but those parsnips fries are probably healthier. They look tasty, too.

Marie Rayner said...

Ohh, your soup and those parsnip fries are really plucking at my tastebuds this morning. Both look so delicious!! I love parsnips!

Lael Meidal said...

This sounds so delicious! You have a cute and yummy blog...I especially love the sound of parsnip fries in this entry. But then, tomato-y soup always hits the spot too.