Saturday, January 11, 2014

Saturday Recipe

Here’s a delicious sounding Italian soup. Perfect for this time of the  year and full of hearty flavours. I have decided not to write Saturday blogs any more. I will post a recipe though.

Your Daily Dish: Tuscan Bread Soup

Bite Me More | January 9th, 2014
Tuscan Bread Soup

Wondering why we put the Union Jack underneath a bowl of this terrific Tuscan Bread Soup? Well, we got the idea for this scrumptious soup – a beautiful bowl of rustic bread, parmesan, hearty garlic and tomato broth and a perfectly poached egg – from a Brit. Mangiamo and we guarantee that you too will be thanking that chap.


Ingredients
1 French bread (about 1/2 lb, preferably day-old), cut into 11/2-inch cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
3 lbs plum tomatoes cut into wedges (reserve 6 wedges for garnish at the end)
2 large red bell peppers, chopped
1 cup dry white wine
6 cups chicken broth
2 dried bay leaves
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Poached Eggs
2 cups water
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
6 large eggs
1/4 cup sliced fresh basil
1 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 300°F. In a large bowl, combine bread cubes with 2 tbsp olive oil and 1/4 tsp kosher salt. Toss to coat and spread out on a baking sheet. Bake 30-40 minutes, until the cubes are crisp all the way through. Remove from oven and set aside.

2) In a large soup pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes. Add minced garlic, cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato wedges and sauté until they start to break down, about 3 minutes. Stir in red peppers and white wine, continuing to cook on medium heat for 15 minutes. Add chicken broth and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook another 15 minutes. Remove from heat and strain liquid through a fine mesh sieve, discarding solids. Return soup to pot, season with salt and pepper and keep hot.

3) For the poached eggs, in a small saucepan, heat the water and vinegar over low heat. When water is simmering, gently crack 2 eggs at a time into the water and poach for 2-3 minutes. Remove and plunge into a bowl filled with ice water. Yolks should be runny. Repeat with remaining eggs.

4) To serve, ladle soup into bowls. Add toasted bread cubes, reserved tomato wedges, basil and poached egg. Finish with shaved Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

Have a great weekend
Jo (2)














14 comments:

  1. Yep this is definitely Soup Weather but this sounds just like a fancy version of my usual home made tomato soup with croutons - except for the poached egg!
    Just making a batch of leek and potato soup for the weekend ... comfort food methinks.
    Have a lovely Saturday Jo

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  2. Well sort of, Sue. I love leek and potato too, usually have some in the freezer. Potage Parmentier when hot, Vichysoisse when cold with added cream. When I was younger, Lyons Corner House used to serve Vichysoisse at one of their big London restaurants and I used to go nuts for it, it was sooooo good.

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  3. We just finished off the last of my wife's last batch of soup. It was a godsend during that Polar Vortex fiasco from last week. That was the best soup I'd ever eaten in my life. Too bad that she has no idea how she did it. She just thows stuff in there and sees what happens, I guess in that case it was really a stew, but still, they're close enough that I use the terms interchangeably, well, sometimes, not if it's tomato soup or something. No way I can call that a stew.

    Anyway, I'd eat your recipe pretty happily. I am a big fan of soups and stews, especially in the winter.

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    Replies
    1. I tend to do the same thing Rusty and I also end up with wonderful soups but cannot remember exactly what I put in that made it so good. I make a lot of soups anyway and always have plenty in the freezer. I always make lots of asparagus soup in the season so I have it all winter long, that is, if we don't eat it up quickly.

      I am currently making a shrimp creole which I guess you could call a shrimp stew LOL. One of our favourites.

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  4. What a great idea! Especially for supper for two, when I don't want to make a regular dinner. I am jumping in here to ask you, Jo, if you have read any Louise Penny books that are set in Quebec? I am such a fan of her writing. I have not read all of them, but "Rule Against Murder" is a favorite. A good book and your soup, what could be better when the temperature is below freezing?

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    Replies
    1. No I have never heard of her, I will check it out. I never read at dinner time but I do when I eat lunch. I spend a lot of other time reading too of course. Thanks for the recommendation.

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  5. That does sound good. And I have the ingredients. Thanks.

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    Replies
    1. I hope it turns out as good as it sounds.

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  6. Sounds good, looks even better, and bet it's tasty too!

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    Replies
    1. Yup, but then most Italian foods are I find and I don't mean just pizza and pasta.

      Haven't got round to your books yet, hope to do so soon though.

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  7. Now that's a new one for me. I had never seen a soup similar to this. But then again, I do need to get out more.

    Good thing I have my blogging friends to help bring the delicacies of the world to me.

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    Replies
    1. Too busy writing. I see you have published your release date. Will look forward to it.

      Glad to help with the delicacies.

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