My very best photog friend,
Nicole, suggested I pick a theme for a week. Since I watch more TV (or used to, at least) than I would rather like to admit, she thought I could base my themes on TV shows. So, for this week, I present:
No Soup for You! For the following week, I will be writing one post per day, focused on a soup recipe. While my soup is rather tasty, I would not prevent you from tasting it because you didn't order it correctly. I also am choosing not to hide away the recipes in an old wardrobe. Do I have any
Seinfeld fans out there? Maybe? Okay, moving on...
My first stop on this delicious endeavor is a soup I actually found at Whole Foods. From time to time, I suggest having dinner out at Whole Foods. They've got so many options that it's like looking into a vast fridge and finding something that will satisfy any craving. One day, Marshall and I went for lunch and I walked away with a small salad from the salad bar and a cup of soup. They had a Vegetarian Tuscan Kale and White Bean soup available, which sounded perfect for what I was in the mood for that day. When I took my first bite, I was underwhelmed. There was all these veggies in this soup and no flavor whatsoever. It desperately needed salt, and I'm not a huge salt person. But I've learned that everything needs at least a little salt. I sat at that table and thought "I can totally do this better."
And I did. I actually found their original recipe on their website. It shocked me that it suggested using lots of canned veggies, rather than fresh. I understand if they're creating a recipe meant to finish cooking in a short time, but there's really no excuse for using canned carrots... So, I gave the recipe an overhaul. I made it distinctly UN-vegetarian (although it can easily be made vegetarian again) by adding some really yummy Italian sausage, using fresh carrots, adding celery, but kept the canned tomatoes (they're honestly the best option for soups and stews). I, of course, I kept the white beans and kale in place, or else it couldn't still be called "Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup". I also added a few flourishes: grated parmesan cheese, a dollop of fresh (well, homemade/frozen) pesto, and homemade croutons. The end result was an absolutely delicious and fresh vegetable soup for those cold winter days. I would necessary freeze this particular soup, but honestly - this soup will go fast.
Stay tuned, tomorrow, for another beautiful soup: Golden Winter Soup.
