comfort essentials: the ultimate bacon tomato soup

How To Make comfort essentials: the ultimate bacon tomato soup

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  PREP/PREPARE
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  A classic French mirepoix (meer-PWAH) consists of 2-parts onion, 1-part carrot, and 1-part celery (2-1-1), all determined by weight, and diced. It is a flavor base for many classic and traditional soups, stews, stocks, and sauces. So, if you chopped up an onion, and it weighs in at 4 ounces, you would need 2 ounces of carrot, and 2 ounces of celery. For this recipe we will dispense with the formality of weighing the ingredients. So, for our recipe dice: • 1/2 medium yellow onion • 1 medium carrot • 1 stalk celery If you have a bit more than the recipe calls for, no worries, just toss it in the pot. A traditional mirepoix is typically not sautéed over high heat; the intention is to sweeten the ingredients, not to caramelize them.
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  If you do a lot of soups and stews (I do during the cold months), you could spend one snowy afternoon chopping up a bunch of onions, carrots, and celery, weighing out the proportions (2-1-1), and making a big batch of mirepoix, then freeze it in 1 cup portions. Simply pull out a bag, when needed. You should blanch the veggies for about 2 minutes before sticking in the freezer.
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  Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
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  Chop up the veggies for the mirepoix and reserve.
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  Add the diced bacon to a soup pot, over medium heat.
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  Cook until the bacon renders its fat, and crisps, about 4 – 5 minutes. Mmmm... Bacon
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  Add the mirepoix, and garlic to the pot with the bacon, and bacon fat.
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  Cook, occasionally stirring, until the veggies soften, about 4 – 5 minutes.
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  Add the tomato paste, and stir to combine, about 1 minute.
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  Add the chicken stock, and stir to combine, about 1 minute.
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  Add the tomatoes and dried thyme, then stir to combine, about 1 minute.
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  Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.
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  Remove from the heat, allow to cool for a few minutes, and then puree in a blender. You may have to do this step in batches.
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  Chef’s Tip: Care should be exercised any time you are blending warm, or hot liquids. When you turn on the blender, they can expand, and go everywhere. Always start at a low speed and place a tea towel over the top of the blender.
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  THE SEASONING This is where things really come together.
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  Return the soup to the pot and set the heat to low. Now, add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and cumin, to taste; along with the apple-cider vinegar. I like a large amount of salt (to compliment the tomatoes), enough pepper, and pepper flakes to give it a bit of heat (more heat in the Winter than Summer), a pinch or two of cumin (to keep it savory), and apple-cider vinegar (for a bit of tang). Note: If you are not using good canned tomatoes, you might need to add a pinch or two of sugar (this will aid in removing the bitter taste of the tomatoes). Remember, you can always add more spice, but you cannot take them out. So, add just a bit at a time, and taste.
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  PLATE/PRESENT
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  Serve while nice and warm with a dollop of sour cream, or yogurt, and crusty bread. Enjoy.
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  Keep the faith, and keep cooking.
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