Provençal Fresh Tomato Soup Food

PROVENCAL TOMATO SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan. Add the onion and cook for a minute. Turn the heat to medium, add the bay leaves and sweat the onion until it starts to soften, about 8 minutes. It shouldn't color, so stir from time to time to prevent it sticking and burning.
• Turn the heat up to medium-high. Add the cayenne pepper, sugar and cook for a minute, then add the tomatoes and garlic. Cook, stirring until the tomatoes take on an orangey hue and have reduced a little.
• Add the pearl barley, Parmesan rind, if using, and the stock, plus salt to taste. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat and cover. Cook until the barley is tender enough to smash with a spoon against the side of the pan, about 40 minutes. If substituting Arborio rice, it will take about half the amount of time to cook.
• Let the soup sit for a few minutes. Remove the bay leaves and blend thoroughly, in batches, using either a wand blender or a freestanding one. Return to the pot, check the seasoning and add a grind or two of black pepper. Serve as is or with a few torn basil leaves or a little pesto stirred into it.

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.

PROVENçAL FRESH TOMATO SOUP

Steps:

• In a large pot, combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, broth, orange juice and thyme and bring to a simmer over high heat.
• Lower the heat, cover the pot and simmer until tomatoes and onion are very tender, about 30 minutes.
• Remove from the heat; working in batches, transfer to a blender and blend until fairly smooth but not puréed.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Toss bread cubes with herbes de Provence and granulated garlic.
• Place on a baking sheet and bake, stirring once or twice, until dried and crisp, about 10 minutes.
• Serve soup hot or chilled, garnished with orange zest, basil and croutons.

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.

SUNNY PROVENCAL TOMATO SOUP

Steps:

• Peel and thinly slice the onions. Peel the tomatoes by plunging into boiling water for 2 minutes to loosen the skins, remove the seeds and chop roughly.
• Put the onions and oil in a large pan and fry lightly over a low heat until the onions are transparent. Add the tomatoes, garlic and herbs.
• Leave to simmer gently for 15 minutes and then add the measured water. Increase the heat and continue cooking for a further 10 minutes.
• Remove the herbs and garlic and mash the tomatoes with a fork or potato masher. Season only with salt.
• Serve hot with grated cheese or, if you prefer, a slice of toasted, crusty bread. Good with a rose or pinot grigio.

PROVENCAL SOUP

Steps:

• In a saucepan, heat oil and melt butter. Brown garlic and onion 4 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Add red bell pepper and zucchini, and let cook 4 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine.
• Add tomatoes and vegetable stock. Heat and let reduce, uncovered, 5 to 7 minutes. Add olives and basil. Stir delicately and heat a little bit more.
• Serve with garlic croutons.

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.

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.

PROVENCAL TOMATO SAUCE (USES FRESH TOMATOES)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy pot. Add the onions and saute for about 10 minutes, until they are translucent.
• Add in the garlic and bay leaves, let that saute about 5 minutes more.
• Add in the tomates, salt, pepper and herbs - simmer for 20 minutes.
• When the tomatoes have cooked down, add in the tomato paste and simmer for another 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning to your liking.
• Remove the bay leaves and your sauce is ready!