WARMING UP TO SOUP…TOMATO & ZUCCHINI with BAKED HERBED CROUTONS
Deeba @ PAB
“Soup puts the heart at ease, calms down the violence of hunger, eliminates the tension of the day, and awakens and refines the appetite.”
Auguste Escoffier
Just when we thought that winter was finally on it’s way out, it snowed in the hills up North, & the temperatures here in the plains plummeted. Shiver me timbers…brrrrrrrr…so back it was to slurping hot soup & being bundled into duvets again! The daughter will NOT touch soup in any avatar, but the son loves a hearty tomato soup & I make it often. This time I tried a different one because I had zucchini & wondered how the zucchini would feel to share space with tomatoes! Nudge, nudge…donno about the zucchini, but the soup sure tasted good, & the tomatoes looked happy in there. The son’s had it on 3 occasions, 2 cups each time, with a generous smattering of baked croutons. Then yesterday he asked me if I had posted it, & also asked for the recipe. ??? hmmmmmm…GULP! Should I or shouldn’t I come clean & tell him the soup had ‘green’s? The question haunted me for a while, & then I thought, Why not?. So, I gingerly showed him pictures of the soup & the ingredients, & surprisingly he didn’t as much as bat an eyelid. All he nonchalantly said was, “Oh, what’s that? I didn’t taste the zucchini! Maybe it doesn’t have any taste.” All’s well, that ends well…& this one certainly did. The croutons are yummy, baked, & crisp! My croutons are now always either of multi grain bread or brown bread, whichever is on hand, & only baked. I stopped frying them ages ago.I think these croutons would do well tossed in a salad too!!
TOMATO & ZUCCHINI SOUP My recipe Ingredients: Tomatoes – 8 medium; cut into 4 quarters Zucchini – 1/ roughly chopped Spring onions with greens – 4 Onion – 1 medium; chopped fine Garlic – 2 cloves, chopped Garlic – 4 cloves, whole Butter – 1 tbsp Salt to taste Freshly ground black pepper Cream & fresh basil for garnishing
Method:
Heat butter in a heavy bottom pan (or pressure cooker which is what I use), & saute the chopped garlic & onion will light pink.
Add the rest of the veggies, add salt to taste, add about 1 cup of water, & cook till done (under pressure for 5-7 minutes).
Once cool, blend & strain.
Heat through & serve with a swirl of low fat cream, baked croutons & a sprig of basil.
OVEN BAKED HERBED CROUTONS My recipe Ingredients: Whole-wheat brown bread – 4 slices, cut into small pieces Oregano or grill seasoning – 1 tbsp Oil – 1 tbsp Method:
Toss all ingredients well. Spread out evenly in a cookie tray & bake in a preheated oven at 180C till golden brown & crisp / 15-20 minutes. Watch closely so they don’t get too dark/ burnt.
