Fire Roasted Tomato Basil Soup and Herbed Ricotta Bruschetta

So last week during that super fun polar vortex, I totally omitted mentioning the weather on Bevy and pretended that it was autumn and I was back in Paris. But alas, in reality, I was freezing my bejezus off with the rest of the country. I just assumed that you, like me, were tired of hearing about the cold on literally all forms of media.

Anyways, weathermen are seriously awesome. I love that I'm able to know a week in advance that its going to be -800000 degrees and I can start planning warm, comforting meals to bring up my body temperature. I decided to make a warm tomato soup for dinner one night during this vortex. Typically soup alone won't satisfy me, so I also included grilled bread topped with ricotta cheese and fresh herbs to accompany the soup.

I know there are lots of tomato soup recipes out there, but we have a favorite from a chain (gasp!) Italian restaurant -- Carrabba's. Their tomato soup is seriously delicious and it's such a comforting meal to enjoy on a cold night. And most everything you need is inexpensive and probably already in your pantry.

To start, heat a heavy pot on medium high heat and pour in the olive oil and saute in diced sweet onion and carrots until translucent.

Add the chopped garlic and a pinch of dried oregano and basil for about four minutes, until vegetables are fully cooked.

Next, add three cans of Hunt's Fire Roasted Tomatoes (including the juice) to the pot and cover for about 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

Uncover and add the chicken broth and heavy whipping cream and bring the pot to a simmer.

Definitely taste-test this pot of deliciousness as you go along.

When the mixture comes to the right consistency, add strips of fresh basil (reserving some for a garnish) and season to taste with the salt and pepper. Lower your heat to medium and cook for five minutes more.

Using an immersion blender that went directly into the soup, we pureed the soup until it was soft yet still slightly chunky.

We kept it on low heat while preparing Barefoot Contessa's Herbed Ricotta Bruschetta.

We combined fresh dill, parsley, chives, and green onions with ricotta cheese and spread it over grilled bread. The blend of the herbs with the creaminess of the ricotta on a slice of warm toasted garlic bread is incredible. And, to get in our veggies, we had a side of simple greens dressed with fresh lemon juice and Extra Virgin olive oil.

Serve these two together and it's a beautiful thing.

Is there anything better this time of year?

---

Fire Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

• 3 (14 oz) cans of Hunt's fire roasted tomatoes
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• ½ tablespoon dried basil, crushed
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• Pinch of dried oregano
• 10 fresh basil leaves, rolled and cut into a chiffonade
• salt and pepper

1. In a heavy pot on medium high heat, pour in the olive oil and saute in the onion and carrots until translucent. Add the chopped garlic and heat with the onion and carrots for about four minutes.

2. Add basil and cook until vegetables are completely soft, about five minutes more.

3. Next, add the cans of fire roasted tomatoes including the juice to the pan and cover for about 15 minutes. Make sure you stir your mixture every few minutes. With the lid off the pan, add the chicken broth and heavy whipping cream and bring the pot to a simmer. The mixture should start to thicken as it reduces. This should take about 10 minutes. You want the soup to be somewhat thicken but not soupy. If your soup is a bit thin, let it simmer a bit longer while occasionally stirring. 

3. When it comes to the right consistency, add the fresh basil (reserve some for a garnish) and season to taste with the salt and pepper. Lower your heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes more. 

4. Using either an immersion blender or a regular blender, puree the soup until smooth. Be careful if using a regular blender as the soup is (obviously) hot! You may need to puree the soup in several batches.

5. Serve with a small sprinkle of the reserved bail as a garnish. 

---

Herbed Ricotta Bruschettas

• 2 cups ricotta, store-bought or homemade (recipe here)
• 4 tablespoons minced scallions, white and green parts 
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 round sourdough bread
• Good olive oil
• 1 whole garlic clove, cut in half

1. Prepare a charcoal grill with hot coals or turn a gas grill to medium-high heat.

2. Combine the ricotta, parsley, scallions, dill, chives, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and set aside. Cut the bread in half and cut each half into thick slices..

3. When the grill is hot, brush the bread with olive oil and grill on each side for 1 ½ to 2 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from the grill and rub each slice of bread with the cut side of the garlic clove. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and spread with the herbed ricotta.

4. Serve two slices per person with a green salad on the side.