Under-The-Weather in Crummy Weather

Most New Years start off with a BANG. Ours started off with a “cough cough”. First, I managed to get sick right after Christmas and let it linger on until the New Year (while throwing a party, no less). Then, being the generous person that I am…gave it to my daughter. Happy New Year, Meg.

Since Meg was down for the count, I felt obliged to do the motherly thing: make soup. I know Chicken Noodle is a classic remedy but I decided to fix an equally satisfying and virus-busting soup, Provençal Tomato Soup. All the required get-well-quick veggies are present and accounted for, plus I like the rich taste that the seasonings bring forth. I make my Provençal a little different than most. During the last stage of cooking, I remove from the heat and pureé a portion of the soup in a blender, then add it back into the pot. This makes the soup a little thicker without adding the nasty calories of cream.

Provençal Tomato Soup

2 lb. tomatoes

2 med. onions, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced

2 carrots, sliced

1 celery rib, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 ½ tsp. orange zest

1 tsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped

1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes (or to taste)

¼ tsp. fennel seeds

1 bay leaf

3 Tbl. olive oil

2 Tbl. tomato paste

2 cups water

1 ¾ cups reduced sodium chicken broth

¾ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

pinch crumbled saffron threads

1-2 tsps. sugar

¼ cup long-grain white rice

2 Tbl. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

¼ cup chopped fresh basil.

Cut a shallow X in bottom of each tomato and blanch in pot of boiling water about 10 seconds, until the skin just begins to split. Transfer with slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking.

Peel tomatoes, then halve crosswise. Squeeze halves gently, cut sides down, over a sieve set over a bowl to extract seeds and juices, then press on seeds and discard them. Reserve juice and tomatoes.

Cook onions, carrot, celery, garlic, zest, thyme, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds and bay leaf in oil in a 3 qt. heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 5 min.

Add tomatoes with reserved juice, tomato paste, water, chicken broth, salt and pepper, saffron, and 1 tsp. sugar, then simmer, uncovered, stirring and breaking up tomatoes with a spoon occasionally, 20 min. Remove from heat and allow soup to cool slightly. Put about one-third of the soup into a blender (may require a couple of blender batches to do one-third) and pureé til smooth. Return this to the pan with the remaining two-thirds soup and mix well. Bring back up to hot and stir in rice. Simmer, uncovered, until rice is tender, 10-20 min. Discard bay leaf and stir in parsley, basil, sugar and salt to taste.

Meg made a full recovery and we can officially welcome the new year. Happy New Year, everyone.

--The Mother (Dr. Mom)