Recipe

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Episode 112

Easy Tomato Soup

5 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, yellow or white, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 (28-ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
4 cups (32 ounces) low sodium chicken stock
1 tablespoon sugar

Instructions

Sauté the onions and garlic:
In a Dutch oven set over medium heat, add the butter. Once it starts to foam, add the onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir until both have softened and are fragrant, about 7 minutes.
Make the roux:
Add flour. Stir to make a paste. Continue stirring until the flour has taken on a light brown color. Stir and scrape with wooden spoon, 5 to 7 minutes. The onion paste should look golden with a little brown caramelization.

Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken stock, and sugar. Stir to combine. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes.

Purée the soup with an immersion blender. Alternatively, fill a countertop blender less than halfway with the hot soup. Remove the center lid insert. This allows the hot steam to escape. Cover the hole with a folded kitchen towel and place your hand over the top. Blend. Repeat as necessary until all of the soup has been puréed.

Ladle into bowls, topped with freshly cracked pepper, slivered basil, and of course, serve grilled cheese sandwiches.

Pimento Cheese

Recipe Courtesy: The Kitchn

12 ounces unshredded sharp yellow cheddar cheese
1 (4-ounce) jar pimiento peppers
3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more as needed
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Grate 12 ounces sharp yellow cheddar cheese on the large holes of a box grater into a medium bowl (about 3 cups).
Drain and rinse pimiento peppers if needed. Coarsely chop if sliced. Add the pimientos, mayonnaise, teaspoon cayenne pepper, and Worcestershire sauce to the bowl of cheese. Stir until evenly combined and spreadable. Taste and season with kosher salt, black pepper, and more cayenne as needed. Serve with crackers, toast points, or crudité, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.