Provençal Tomato Soup With Chèvre Recipes

PROVENçAL TOMATO AND BASIL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about five minutes. Stir in half the garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, basil sprigs or leaves and remaining garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add the water, Parmesan rind and salt to taste. Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer 15 minutes. Add the tapioca or rice, and simmer for another 15 minutes until the tapioca is tender and the soup fragrant. Remove the basil sprigs and Parmesan rind. Puree in a blender in small batches, taking care to place a towel over the top of the blender and hold it down tightly. If you used fresh unpeeled tomatoes and want a silkier soup, put through a strainer, using a spatula or the back of a ladle to push the soup through. Return to the pot, add pepper to taste and adjust salt. Serve garnished with garlic croutons and/or Parmesan, if desired, and slivered basil leaves. If serving cold, refrigerate until chilled.

PROVENCAL TOMATO RICE SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute onions, carrot, celery, garlic, orange zest, thyme and fennel seed for 5 minutes, until the vegetables start to become tender.
• Add tomato paste and water, whisking until the tomato paste is fully incorporated.
• Stir in the canned tomatoes, chicken stock, salt, pepper, sugar and rice. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender.
• Stir in parsley and basil.
• Serve hot.

PROVENCAL TOMATO SOUP WITH RICE

Steps:

• Cut a shallow X in bottom of each tomato with a sharp paring knife. Blanch tomatoes in batches of 2 or 3 in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling water 10 seconds, transferring with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking.
• Peel tomatoes, then halve crosswise. Squeeze halves gently, cut sides down, over a sieve set over a bowl to extract seeds and juices, then press on seeds and discard them. Reserve juice and tomatoes.
• Cook onions, carrot, celery, garlic, zest, thyme, red-pepper flakes, fennel seeds, and bay leaf in oil in a 2 1/2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add tomatoes with reserved juice, tomato paste, water, chicken broth, salt, pepper, saffron, and 1 teaspoon sugar, then simmer, uncovered, stirring and breaking up tomatoes with a spoon occasionally, 20 minutes. Stir in rice and simmer, uncovered, until rice is tender, 10 to 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf and stir in parsley, basil, and sugar and salt to taste.

PROVENçAL TOMATO SOUP WITH CHèVRE

Steps:

• Fill the bottom of a heavy soup pot (5 to 6 quarts) with olive oil. Over medium-high heat, cook the onions with a pinch of salt until golden, 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often. In the meantime, lightly crush the spices in a small bowl or with a mortar and pestle, to release the flavors. Add the spices and garlic to the onions and cook until the aromas open, about 30 seconds.
• Stir in the tomato paste and continue stirring until no lumps remain. Add the vermouth and cook for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes. Bring to a boil, cook for two minutes, then add the broth. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
• Stir in the cinnamon and season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with crumbled goat cheese.