Tomato Soup With Arugula Croutons And Pecorino Recipes

TOMATO SOUP WITH ARUGULA, CROUTONS, AND PECORINO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss bread with 2 tablespoons oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt. Bake, tossing halfway through, until golden brown and crunchy, 8-10 minutes; set croutons aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium. Add onion, garlic, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until onion is soft, 5-7 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until they just start to release their juices, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Transfer tomato mixture to a blender and blend until smooth; taste and add hot sauce to your liking. Season with salt and pepper.
• Drizzle soup with more oil and top with arugula, Pecorino, and croutons.
• Do Ahead
• Croutons can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

TOMATO SOUP WITH PARMESAN CROUTONS

Steps:

• For the soup: In a large pot, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, garlic and onions and stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes, broth, parsley and 1 cup water and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture, still leaving some texture to the tomatoes. Add the cream, basil and some salt and pepper, and simmer for another 5 minutes.
• For the croutons: Drizzle the baguette rounds lightly with olive oil. Place little piles of Parmesan in a nonstick skillet. Place a baguette round on top of each pile. Turn on the heat to medium. Press with a spatula as you melt the cheese into each round. When set, flip to the other side to toast.
• Serve the soup with 1 or 2 croutons on top.

FARMSTAND TOMATO SOUP WITH ARUGULA PESTO

Steps:

• To Make the Soup:
• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Set the cored tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and roast them until they look wrinkly, about 30 minutes; set aside. While the tomatoes cool, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small sauté pan. Add the shallots and 2 cloves chopped garlic and sauté over medium-low heat until they turn golden brown and caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes; set aside.
• When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, peel off the skins, which should slip off easily. Put the peeled tomatoes in the jar of a blender along with the sautéed shallots and garlic, crushed tomatoes (with juice), 1 tablespoon salt, and sugar. Process until the soup is smooth. Stir in the cream and vodka, if desired. Refrigerate in a covered bowl for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight.
• To Make the Pesto:
• Toast the pine nuts, stirring occasionally, in a skillet set on medium heat until they turn golden brown, about 4 minutes. Combine the arugula, pine nuts, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and lemon juice in the jar of a blender or the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, then slowly add in the olive oil through the feed tube and process. Transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in the Parmesan.
• To Serve:
• Ladle the chilled soup into individual serving bowls, and swirl 1 tablespoon of pesto into each.
• Do it early
• The soup can be made up to 4 days in advance and refrigerated. Ditto for the pesto. Both should be well covered. Arugula pesto does not brown when exposed to oxygen as does its more common cousin, basil pesto.
• Variation
• The more traditional-minded may prefer a basil pesto. Also, you can eliminate the cream and top the soup with a dollop of crème fraîche or Greek-style yogurt and a drizzle of pesto.

ROASTED TOMATO SOUP WITH CROUTONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Prepare the tomatoes. In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, 1/4 cup of the oil, the vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper, to taste. Spread the tomatoes out on a non-reactive baking sheet. Roast the tomatoes in the oven until very dark in spots, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove and allow to cool a bit.
• Prepare the bruschetta. Cut the bread crosswise into slices about 1-inch thick (you will need 8 slices). Lightly brush the slices on both sides with oil and season with salt. Place the slices on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until the bruschetta are golden brown and just beginning to crisp, about 6 minutes.
• In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine remaining 1/4 cup oil, the onions, and a pinch of salt. Cook until the onions are very soft, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the 2 cups basil leaves and saute with the onions for about 1 minute.
• Add the roasted tomatoes and water to the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Puree the tomato mixture in a blender. Start the motor at a slow speed and increase gradually. Alternatively you can use an immersion blender right in the pot. The mixture should be very smooth. You should have about 8 cups. You can prepare the soup to this point and refrigerate it. When ready to serve, pour the soup into a medium saucepan and bring it to a slow simmer over medium heat.
• Serve the soup. Place 1 bruschetta in the center of each shallow soup bowl. Pour the soup around each bruschetta. Garnish with torn basil leaves.

INDIVIDUAL PIZZAS WITH PECORINO, ARUGULA, AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Turn a large baking sheet upside down; rub with oil. Using your hands, crush tomatoes into a pulp in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.
• Spread crushed tomatoes on pizza shells; sprinkle with red-pepper flakes. Bake until crusts are golden, 18 to 20 minutes.
• In a bowl, toss arugula with Pecorino; top pizzas with salad. Drizzle with vinegar and, if desired, oil.