Comfort Food for Lunch

My September 2008 Monthly Meal was all about cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, but since I was so short on time that month, I went the honest route and opted to use Amy’s Organics tomato soup instead of making my own. Well, today I decided I would make my own tomato soup, and I’m so glad I did. It’s really easy, so easy that now I feel kind of lame for not making from scratch every time. And the flavor just can’t be beat.

Heat 2 Tbsp. red palm oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Half, peel, and dice 1 medium yellow onion, and chop 3 cloves garlic. Add onion and garlic to the pot once the oil is warm, and cook for about ten minutes.

While onion and garlic are cooking, open a 28-oz. can of peeled whole tomatoes (I use Whole Foods’ 365 tomatoes). In a food processor, place the whole tomatoes only (no juice from the can) into the bowl, and set aside.

Once onion and garlic are nearly translucent, add some sea salt and 1/2 tsp. dried thyme (or 1 tsp. fresh thyme). Cook for a couple more minutes, then turn off heat. Using a spatula, scrape contents of pot into the food processor bowl. Process onion, garlic, and tomatoes for a minute or two, or until smooth.

Add contents of food processor back into the soup pot, and pour in the remaining juice in the tomato can as well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until flavors are all well-blended. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 c. whole milk and 1 Tbsp. sweetener (sugar, honey, or agave nectar), and stir well. Test the soup for seasoning to see if it needs more salt or sweetener.

You can also add 2 Tbsp. of fresh pesto, if you have it. I made a huge batch at the end of summer wth basil from our garden, and then I froze it in ice cube trays, and popped the cubes out into a freezer bag once they were ready. This way, when I want to use pesto in pasta dishes or in this soup, I can just pop a couple of cubes into the pot.

Here’s the cheese sandwich cooking in my cast iron pan. You can see how nicely the bread browns if you use a thin layer of butter and cook it slowly. And, as I mentioned in my September meal, the true key to making a perfect cheese sandwich is grating the cheese.

I don’t usually like to eat white bread, but I will say that nothing makes a yummy cheese sandwich like white bread does. Though I continue to buy Alvarado St. sprouted breads for all other purposes, I really like the Whole Foods’ brand white bread. It’s kind of bland on its own, but it’s ideal for making a cheese sandwich: sturdy enough to flip easily, and it doesn’t have any holes for the cheese to slip through while the sandwich cooks.

While most people think of things like fried chicken and mashed potatoes when they hear the words “comfort food,” this soup/sandwich combo is my favoritest, most comfortingest meal ever. The only thing that could improve upon it would be a cold glass of raw milk. Delicious!