that's just souper! and salad

    

This is one tasty tomato soup! It is so creamy - but to the delight of vegans or lactose intolerants there is no cream or dairy to be found. Read on to find out the secret 'creamy' ingredient ...

As for the salad, there is nothing I enjoy more than a fresh bowlful of tabbouleh; the best I have ever come across is made in the High Level Diner restaurant in Edmonton - a lovely spot with tabbouleh so green and zesty it will knock the wool socks off your feet and the fleece scarf off your face.

Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 medium onion, chopped medium (about 1 cup)

3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed (about 1 tablespoon)

Pinch hot red pepper flakes

1 bay leaf

2 (28 ounce) cans whole tomatoes (important: do not use diced or halved as they usually include calcium chloride and do not break down as well)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

3 large slices of good quality white sandwich bread, crusts removed and torn or cut into 1-inch pieces*

2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth

2 tablespoons brandy (optional)

Table salt and ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

*So, the bread is used here because dairy products dull the taste of the tomatoes, while adding nothing at all leaves the soup tasting too sharp - the bread thickens the soup, cuts the sharpness, and leaves the soup silky and tomatoey

Directions:

1. heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium high heat until the oil shimmers. add to this the onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent (around 3 to 5 minutes). Stir in the tomatoes and their juice. Using a potato masher, take out your aggression on the poor tomatoes (smash smash smash) until no large pieces remain. Stir in the sugar and the bread; bring the soup to a boil (DO NOT add the broth yet ... be patient little cooks). Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until bread is completely saturated and begins to break down, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf.

2. transfer half the soup to a blender. Add one tablespoon of oil and blend until soup is smooth and creamy. Transfer to a large bowl and repeat with the remaining soup and oil. Rinse out the soup pot and return the blended soup to the pot. Now add the broth and the brandy (if using, and only if you haven't finished off the bottle while cooking the soup). Return the soup to a boil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the soup, sprinkle with chives and drizzle with olive oil. Serve alongside crusty tasty bread, I used fresh greek flax bread when I made it the first time. 

From: Alt, Keji. J.Cook's Illustrated. Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup. October, 2008.

I cannot rave about this soup enough, I don't even like tomato soup but I could guzzle an entire pot of this. It is especially good when eaten with the following tabbouleh salad ...

Tabbouleh Salad

2 cups couscous

2 cups vegetable broth
3 cups chopped flat-leaf parsley*
1/2 cup chopped mint
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 large cucumbers, chopped
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

*This may seem like an excessive amount of parsely, but I like parsley - you got a problem with that?

Directions:

1. Add the couscous to the boiling vegetable broth, stir with a fork, remove from heat and cover. Allow the couscous to sit covered for five minutes, then fluff with fork. Set aside to cool. 

2. Once the couscous has cooled add the rest of the ingredients. Put in fridge until cold. Add extra olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste, top each serving with a kalamata olive. Serve and enjoy