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There’s really nothing better—or more comfort inducing—than tomato soup. And like most things, tomato soup really does taste better with a little homemade effort. Sure, a can of tomato soup will suffice in a pinch, but homemade is truly a difference you can taste. And when you hear the words, “tomato soup pimento cheese” anywhere in the same sentence, you know you’re in for a treat.
My take on the classic is a tad on the fancier side with the use of roasted tomatoes. By roasting the tomatoes whole along with using fresh cloves of garlic, then blending, I get a thicker, creamier consistency that is just SO much more satisfying than a one note from the can version.
Along with the roasting, the other key to my recipe was hinted above: blending. Last time we talked blending, it was to share my love for the KitchenAid® Pro Line® Series Blender and that love is not lost today. By blending, even if it’s only a portion of a soup, you’re creating a richer and tastier texture. I find that blending is actually the key to most soups, so trust me when I say it’s worth the extra effort.
Once blended, I really do enjoy a dollop (or two) of heavy cream if I’m serving this roasted tomato soup as a starter. BUT when I’m serving it as an entree I like to put a little Southern spin on it by serving it alongside grilled pimento cheese bites.
Grilled pimento cheese bites are just as heavenly as they sound…crisp pan fried sourdough encasing rich, ooey-gooey pimento cheese. The combo really should be illegal! But lucky for us it’s not, and even luckier for us is that grilled pimento cheese bites are super easy to make. Simply cut the sourdough bread into smallish squares, spread with pimento cheese and fry it all in a sauté pan until crisp and golden brown. You can most certainly use store-bought pimento cheese, but if you’re using homemade, here’s a quick tip: be sure to blitz the ingredients in a blender for a smoother, spreadable texture that is sure to melt better.
So now that I’ve shared my spin on the ultimate comfort food, all you’ve got to do is try it! Truly, MKR
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Place the tomatoes on a baking dish and slightly crush or break with your hands, add garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Roast until garlic is soft and tomatoes are jammy, approx. 30 minutes.
About 10 minutes before roasted tomatoes are done, begin heating 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high. Add onion and season with salt and pepper.
Cook until onion begins to soften.
Increase heat to medium high, add tomato paste, rosemary and thyme; cook, stirring, until slightly darkened in color, about 2 minutes.
Add roasted tomato mixture and broth and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld, 15-20 minutes.
Let cool slightly.
Working in batches, pour tomato mixture in a blender until smooth and pour soup back into pot.
Taste, then season with salt and pepper and put the lid on to keep warm while you make the pimento cheese bites.
For the pimento cheese bites
Cut the sourdough bread into smallish squares.
Smear butter on outside sides of bread.
Spread with pimento cheese and in a saute pan coated with cooking spray, saute on high to medium high until golden brown.
Serve with tomato soup, and enjoy!
By Mandy Kellogg Rye @ Waiting on Martha
Welcome by Waiting on Martha https://waitingonmartha.com/
Photography, Rustic White for Waiting on Martha | This post was in collaboration with KitchenAid, a brand we love and adore. All opinions are 100% our own.
If you didn’t catch yesterday’s post let me catch you up. We kicked off our Monday by hosting a vibrant Spanish themed dinner (and a MAJOR giveaway) with two of my favorites, Le Creuset and Williams-Sonoma. And today, as promised, I’m sharing the recipes for my Easy Seafood Paella and Espinacas con Garbanzos.
So first, a little backstory: I love seafood paella. And I’ve wanted to take a stab at making my own for awhile now, but truthfully I’ve been a bit intimidated to try and tackle it at home. Though some recipes slightly vary, I’ve always enjoyed it as a traditional rice dish with fresh mussels, little neck clams and shrimp, simmering in a fiery bath of spices and seasonings (think cayenne, saffron, smoked paprika and more). It’s really no surprise that people from all over consider this traditional Spanish dish an elevated comfort food, and it’s dramatic one-pot presentation makes it a true show stopper.
To my delight, making my own seafood paella was so much easier than I had imagined. What I thought would be a painstakingly long process, turned into an under-30-minute (or just about) meal! I mean I was shocked. You will spend that active time simmering, blending and boiling, but you’ll find that the level and depth of flavors you’ll achieve is well worth the time spent over the paella pan.
Next up (which can serve as a first course to the seafood paella or by itself as a tapa) is the traditional Spanish side dish: Espinacas con Garbanzos, which translates to “spinach with chickpeas.” Sounds simple enough, but this spinach and chickpea Moorish-style stew is a comforting, filling dish that’s typically served hot and has a smoky, hearty flavor. This, like the seafood paella, is an under-30-minute dish, so it’s a great option when you’re hoping to kick up your weeknight routine or impress (without all the fuss) at your next dinner party. Truly, MKR
P.S. Don’t forget to enter our week-long giveaway with your chance to score a 16-piece Le Creuset set in the color of your choice! All the details are listed below in the widget, and I’d love to hear: what color would you choose?!
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In a large paella pan or sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add onion, pepper and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the rice, saffron, cayenne & smoked paprika and cook, stirring, until the grains are well coated, about 2 minutes. Pour in the broth slowly and stir in 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the rice has absorbed nearly all of the liquid, about 10 minutes.
When the rice has absorbed nearly all of the liquid, press the clams, shrimp and mussels, into the rice and top with the peas. Cover and cook until the shrimp are opaque and the clams have opened, about 5 minutes. Discard any unopened clams and mussels and serve immediately with cilantro and lime garnish (optional).
Notes
When preparing your seafood discard any mussels or clams that will not stay shut to the touch before cooking.
1/4 cup blanched unsalted Marcona almonds, rough chopped
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup tomato sauce
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons Sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar if sherry vinegar is hard to come by)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Coat a large saucepan over medium-high heat warm olive oil and add garlic, onion, cumin, cayenne and black pepper sautéing until translucent, 3-4 minutes. Add almonds and lightly toast.
Transfer the ingredients to a blender/food processor and add the sherry vinegar. Blend the ingredients together until you have a thick paste. Return the paste to the saucepan and add your garbanzo beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste. Stir gently until the chickpeas are fully coated by the sauce.
Add the spinach and stir until spinach is wilted and everything is evenly incorporated.
Season with salt and pepper and serve.
By Mandy Kellogg Rye @Waiting On Martha
Welcome by Waiting on Martha https://waitingonmartha.com/
When any meal I make tastes good I celebrate. When any meal I make tastes good, looks way more difficult than it actually is to create, and is crazy easy to clean up I dance a little jig in unedited pure joy. Really, I do dance a little jig. And that little jig is currently happening thanks to my drool-worthy, uber healthy, one sheet pan salmon with garlicky green beans and cherry tomatoes.
It’s a delightful recipe to have up your sleeve, as it’s just as easy as it is elegant. It makes for a wonderfully elevated weeknight meal (we’re still making weeknight meals a priority), while also serving as an instant crowd-pleaser for any dinner party. And while I’m not personally a huge salmon fan, even I can always be tempted with one of these herb crusted, wild-caught salmon filets alongside some of my favorite vibrant, seasonal veggies.
For today’s one sheet pan salmon, I topped the salmon filets with an homemade herb mixture of minced garlic, chopped parsley, thyme, oregano, basil, a little rosemary and olive oil from my herb garden (check out our easy indoor herb garden tutorial). I then added fresh, farmers market green beans and heirloom cherry tomatoes onto the sheet with the salmon filets. You can, of course, include any of your favorite seasonal vegetables here; I like to use whatever I’ve picked up in my farmers market haul from the weekend before.
In true one-sheet-pan form, I baked everything on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, which preserves my sheet pan and allows for the easiest clean up. Plus there’s just something about how well all of these flavors bake and meld together that really just makes this an A+ all around. Tell me, do you think you’ll give my one sheet pan salmon a go? Truly, MKR
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One Sheet Pan Herb Crusted Salmon with Garlicky Green Beans & Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes
1 large filet wild caught salmon (or 4 individual filets) with skin-on and de-boned
fresh green beans, whole
2 pints heirloom cherry tomatoes
2 shallots, sliced
3 garlic cloves, rough chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
4 tbs+ olive oil
2-3 tbs. balsamic vinegar
herb mixture*
1 sheet parchment paper
*for herb mixture
8 cloves of garlic
handful parsley, thyme, oregano, basil and a little rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt & pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
Assemble tomatoes to one side of the sheet pan and season with salt, pepper and drizzle balsamic vinegar on top.
Add green beans to sheet pan, top with sliced shallots and rough chopped garlic. Season with salt, pepper, and drizzle olive oil on top.
Make herb mixture; combine all chopped herbs into a pile on cutting board. Drizzle with olive oil and mix into a paste with your fingers (only enough for it all to bind together).
Assemble salmon filets on sheet pan and rub herb mixture on top.
Cook for approx. 20 minutes (or until tomatoes are bursting).
By Mandy Kellogg Rye @ Waiting on Martha
Welcome by Waiting on Martha https://waitingonmartha.com/
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