Winter Tomato Soup With Crostini Recipes

WINTER TOMATO SOUP WITH BULGUR

Steps:

• Pulse the tomatoes to a coarse puree in a food processor. Heat the olive oil in a heavy soup pot over medium heat and add the onion and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is very soft but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and sugar and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly, about 10 minutes. Add the bulgur, water, and salt to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 to 45 minutes, until the bulgur is soft and the soup thick and fragrant. Add pepper to taste and adjust salt.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with mint and feta. Drizzle on a little olive oil if desired. Serve hot.

SLOW-ROASTED TOMATO CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Arrange tomatoes, cut sides up, in a shallow baking dish just large enough to hold them in 1 layer. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Scatter garlic around tomatoes, then roast in middle of oven until tomatoes are tender and skins are wrinkled, about 1 hour. Cool, then transfer tomatoes to a plate, reserving garlic and oil in baking dish.
• While tomatoes are cooling, put bread slices on a baking sheet and brush lightly on both sides with additional oil. Bake in middle of oven until golden, 15 to 18 minutes.
• Peel roasted garlic cloves and mash to a paste with oil and juices from baking dish. Spread paste on toasts, then top each toast with a tomato half, cut side up.
• Serve crostini topped with mint and olives.

WINTER TOMATO SOUP

Steps:

• In a saucepan melt butter and add olive oil, onion, thyme, basil and salt and pepper.
• Cook, stirring, until onions wilt.
• Add tomatoes and tomato paste.
• Simmer 20 minutes.
• Blend together 5 T of the chicken broth with the flour.
• Add this to the soup, stir, then add rest of broth.
• Simmer 30 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning.
• Puree soup in blender.
• Return to heat.
• Add sugar and cream.
• Simmer 5 more minutes.

WINTERTIME TOMATO SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Drain tomatoes and reserve liquid. Halve them and put in a roasting pan; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons oil and the thyme, if using. Roast, turning once or twice, until lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Use wooden spoon to scrape up browned bits from pan, adding a little liquid if necessary.
• Put remaining olive oil in a deep skillet or medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add garlic and cook just until it begins to color, a minute or so. Add carrot and onion and cook, sprinkling with salt and pepper and stirring, for about 5 minutes. Stir in stock or water, along with contents of roasting pan and reserved tomato juice.
• Turn heat to high and bring soup to a boil, then lower heat so it bubbles gently. Cover and cook until vegetables are very tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.

WINTER TOMATO SOUP WITH CROSTINI

Steps:

• For the soup: In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until the onions are softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic cloves, carrot and pepper flakes, lower the heat, cover and cook until the vegetables are sweet and juicy but not browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Check, stirring occasionally, and add 1 tablespoon water if the vegetables appear dry. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the olive oil turns reddish orange, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, the broth, orange zest, and sage and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove pot from heat and discard the orange zest and sage. Puree the soup with an immersion blender (or, working in batches, in a regular blender or a food processor) until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a saucepan and reheat before serving. For the crostini: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small bowl, use a fork to beat together the goat cheese, olive oil, thyme, lemon zest, and a few grinds of black pepper until smooth. Slice the baguette on the bias into four to six 1/3-inch-thick slices that are 2 to 3 inches long. Lay the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Spread the toasts with the goat cheese mixture. Ladle the soup into four bowls; float a crostini on each (I served the crostini on the side, as Justin is not a fan of soggy bread).

SUPER EASY APPETIZER - TOMATO AND PESTO CROSTINI

Steps:

• Defrost the puff pastry, and cut into 16 squares.
• Cook in moderate oven for 10 minutes so that the pastry is slightly golden and starting to puff.
• On each square, place a bocconini slice, followed by a cherry tomato (flat size down) and a small blob of pesto.
• Put back into oven and cook a further 10 minutes until the boconncini have started to melt.
• Serve immediately.

TOMATO CROSTINI

Steps:

• Heat a grill or grill pan or preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread on grill or on a baking sheet in the oven; toast until golden on both sides, turning once. Transfer to a serving platter, and lightly brush one side of each slice with oil.
• Roughly chop or slice tomatoes, and place in a large bowl. Add the salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Add basil and chervil, and drizzle with the oil and vinegar. Gently toss again. To serve, spoon tomato mixture over bread, and garnish with basil sprigs.

WINTERTIME TOMATO SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Drain tomatoes and reserve liquid. Halve them and put in a roasting pan; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons oil and the thyme, if using. Roast, turning once or twice, until lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Use wooden spoon to scrape up browned bits from pan, adding a little liquid if necessary.
• Put remaining olive oil in a deep skillet or medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add garlic and cook just until it begins to color, a minute or so. Add carrot and onion and cook, sprinkling with salt and pepper and stirring, for about 5 minutes. Stir in stock or water, along with contents of roasting pan and reserved tomato juice.
• Turn heat to high and bring soup to a boil, then lower heat so it bubbles gently. Cover and cook until vegetables are very tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.

CROSTINI WITH MOZZARELLA AND TOMATO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven's broiler. Brush the slices of bread lightly with olive oil, and place on a baking sheet. Toast under the broiler for about 3 minutes. Watch carefully. Rub each crostini with a garlic clove for flavor.
• Place the tomatoes into a medium bowl, and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
• Place the crostini on a serving tray. Top each one with a slice of mozzarella cheese, cover with a spoonful of tomatoes, and garnish with fresh basil.