Filed under Soups, Stocks + Sauces · Print This Post
I had everything I needed in the kitchen. What could I make that’s easy, quick and filling? This soup took about 30 minutes to make and fulfilled a soup craving during brunch.
Ingredients:
3 vine-ripe tomatoes
3 slices from a day-old loaf of Italian bread, cut into smaller pieces
1 quart vegetable stock
5 slices of bacon
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
fresh basil leaves, torn
salt, pepper, oil
1. Score a cross in the bottom of the tomatoes and place in a pot of boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove and plunge in a bowl of cold water to peel the skin off. Cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds. Chop the tomato flesh and set aside.
2. Preheat oven 400º. Bake bacon for 8 minutes or until crispy. Let drain on a paper towel. Chop coarsely and set aside.
3. Heat some oil in a pot. Sauté the garlic and tomatoes. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring ocassionaly. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, add the bread and cook until the bread softens and absorbs some of the liquid.
4. Season with salt and pepper and stir in some olive oil. Top with bacon bits.
Filed under Shellfish, Soups, Stocks + Sauces · Print This Post
I had enough crayfish meat and crayfish broth leftover from the crayfish rice that I decided to make soup. At first, I was just going to use the broth and add some vegetables, but after tasting it, I knew something was short. My mother said she imagined the soup to be thicker because the crayfish taste was so concentrated. So I put on my coat, braved the winter weather with pajamas on and ran to the corner deli and bought a can of corn and a pint of milk. Using a blender, I made my own creamed corn. I wanted to test it first before I used the rest of the broth so in a smaller pot, I simmered a small dollop of the corn with some of the broth. When the mother hen approved, I made a bigger batch good enough for four people at work the next day.
Ingredients:
2 pounds crayfish, washed
bacon
1 can of kernel corn
1 cup of milk
2 ribs of celery, cut in smaller pieces
1 red onion, halved
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 chayote, peeled and diced
salt, pepper, oil
1. Make crayfish broth. Separate the crayfish heads from the tails. Put the heads in a big soup pot with some water and let it boil. Add onion and celery ribs with some salt. Simmer until ready to use. Peel tails and devein. Chop in smaller pieces.
2. In a skillet, render fat off bacon until crisp. Remove to a plate lined with paper towel. When cool enough to handle, finely chop bacon. Set aside.
3. In a blender, purée corn while adding a little bit of milk slowly. The consistency should be creamy without being too thick.
4. In a soup pot, transfer the crayfish broth without the solids. Simmer and add the vegetables. Cook until the chayote is soft. Add a little bit of the creamed corn slowly until desired consistency. Season with bacon bits and pepper. Serve with country bread.
Related post/s:
How to cook your rice with crayfish
