January 28, 2008
Green Eggs and Ham Tomato Soup
So on Saturday we did a bit of yard work. The Bougainvillea fell over on our gorgeous (and still producing!) yellow tomato plant, effectively killing it. Once we removed the bougie back to upright status, we found dozens of small green tomatoes still growing on the dying vine. So we harvested at least 4 quarts of beautiful green tomatoes.
Ironically enough, fried green tomatoes is one of the FEW fried, Southern dishes that I DON'T like. So I went to Chef Google to find some different recipes for using up the garden's bounty. One of the first that I turned up was this recipe for Green Tomato Soup. I made this last night, and by all accounts it was a BIG winner.
Believe it or not. Originally found here. The recipe below contains my modifications.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil4 oz Cubed Pancetta (1/2 cup)
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced scallions (from 1 bunch)
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
1 pinch dried bay leaf pieces, scattered in the oil
2 lb green unripe tomatoes, chopped into bite-sized chunks
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Garnish: fat-free plain yogurt
Preparation
Heat oil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, add bay leaf bits, then cook pancetta, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add scallions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until scallions are tender and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth, water, salt, and pepper and simmer on medium heat, partially covered, until tomatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste if necessary.
To serve, put a dollop of yogurt in the bottom of the soup bowl and ladle soup over the top. Yum.
Makes about 6 bowls of soup.
Multiple possible variations on this one, including a lower-fat meat (like turkey bacon, ham, or low-fat sausage), and sour cream or creme freche for the garnish. Also, some people dislike the broth to stuff ratio, so add more broth if you feel the soup is too chunky. Finally, if the soup seems too tart, add one tsp. sugar (or one packet sweet n low or splenda) to the pot to cut the acidity from the tomatoes. DO NOT use Equal.
Oh gosh, that does sound good. I can't wait to make it for my mom. Thanks.
Posted by: Janette at January 28, 2008 02:15 PMwhat is this "lower-fat meat" of which you write?
Posted by: wRitErsbLock at January 28, 2008 02:40 PMSounds delish!
Posted by: Richmond at January 28, 2008 02:44 PM
