We Should Be Folding Laundry

I’m observing National Soup Month / National Hot Tea Month by combining soup and tea… again!

You can’t possibly be surprised at this point.

As long as I have tea in my pantry and veggies in my crisper, I am fully equipped to run this whole soup + tea combo concept right into the ground or at least as far as February when we can recognize other foods on a national level.

I’ve come up with another recipe that is healthy, incredibly easy, full of flavor, and uses just a handful of ingredients.

And just so that I can say that I warned you, this probably won’t be the last one.

I have another soup + tea combo up my sleeve that I can’t wait to share with you.

This recipe makes just enough for a big bowl of soup so it’s perfect for lunch.

It can also be split between two small bowls and eaten as a first course at dinner.

Or you could always pour it into two mugs and stand in your kitchen sipping it while chatting with your significant other on a lazy Sunday.

Just a suggestion.

Ingredients

16 oz. Marzano, cherry, or plum tomatoes – I use packaged Marzano tomatoes

1 roasted red pepper – roast your own or use a jarred pepper

10 oz. brewed Numi Organics Tomato Mint Savory Tea*

5-6 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 garlic clove – minced

Balsamic Vinegar

Directions

Cut the tomatoes in half vertically and use your thumb to scoop out the seeds and gel. Take this time to contemplate the meaning of life or your to do list for the afternoon.

Toss the tomatoes into a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, a small splash of balsamic vinegar, the garlic, a good sprinkle of sea salt, and some freshly ground black pepper.

Strip the thyme leaves from their sprigs and add to the tomatoes.

Toss everything together.

Roast at 300 degrees for one hour. You will need to roast longer if you use plum tomatoes. The tomatoes are done when they are shriveled and caramelized but still moist.

Brew the tea according to package directions.

Chop up a roasted red pepper and toss it into a sauce pan along with the tomatoes (be sure to add the juice that has accumulated on the baking sheet), and tea.

If you roasted your own pepper, be sure to scrape off and discard the charred skin before you add it to the soup.

Bring to a simmer and then reduce heat to low. Let it simmer for a few minutes so all of the flavors can get to know each other.

Pour the soup (which should still be in a very chunky state) into a blender and give it a whirl until it is very smooth.

Pour the now creamy soup back into the pan and add a sprinkle of sea salt.

Give it a good stir and taste for seasoning.

Pour into a bowl or mug and top with chopped basil, hot chili flakes, shaved parmesan, crumbled bacon, hot sauce, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, or a parmesan thyme crisp (recipe below).

I added a few dashes of Worcestershire but I’m an addict. I add it to everything.

I realize that adding Worcestershire might seem odd but since there is no broth or stock in the soup it has a much lighter, gentler flavor so the Worcestershire just gives it a tiny hit of sweetness and acidity that I really like.

Enjoy! ♥

Parmesan Thyme Crackers:

Lay a silpat or parchment paper on a baking sheet or spray with non-stick spray.

Sprinkle the parmesan cheese onto the baking sheet in a pile and then spread out lightly with your fingers.

Sprinkle thyme and freshly ground black pepper on top.

Bake at 325 for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

* Numi Organics Tomato Mint Tea contains: organic tomato, organic onion, organic mint, organic lemon peel, organic parsley, organic cinnamon, organic decaf black tea, organic allspice

Tags: gluten-free, soup, vegan, vegetarian

Not too long ago Numi Organics was offering free samples of their new savory teas online.

I love tea and up until that point, had never had the opportunity to try a savory tea blend so I jumped all over that offer.

About a week after I placed the request, I received a package that contained all six flavors included in their Garden Sampler variety box: Tomato Mint, Spinach Chive, Carrot Curry, Fennel Spice, Broccoli Cilantro, and Beet Cabbage.

All of the blends contain organic vegetables, herbs, spices, decaffeinated black or green tea, and they smell fantastic.

These savory teas would be great if you were under the weather or as part of a cleanse but when my box of savory tea samples arrived in my mailbox, I immediately thought soup.

I think it’s the most obvious route.

I make soup quite often when I need to use up some senior veggies that are past their prime.

It doesn’t hurt that my youngest child loves homemade soup. The canned stuff doesn’t do anything for her but if I put a bowl of my vegetable soup in front of her, that bowl is clean in just a few minutes.

I’ve shared my recipe for vegetable soup before so that’s old news.

This next version is even easier (if you can believe that) because it uses leftover marinara sauce.

Most of us will have a half-empty (or is it half-full?) jar of sauce in our refrigerator at some point.

It will inevitably be shoved in the back and forgotten.

So why not put it to good use and make soup?

I actually made two batches of this soup so that I could try out two different flavors of savory tea.

I went with the Fennel Spice and Spinach Chive flavors.

Both were delicious and each lent its own unique flavor to the soup.

Green tea is such a mild flavor on its own, so it really allows the flavors of the herbs and vegetables to come through.

I know I’ve said it before but this vegetable soup is beyond easy to make.

You don’t even need a recipe.

Just chop up some elderly veg and get it sauteing in a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. I used an onion, carrots, celery, and kale.

While this is happening, steep your tea. Just follow the directions on the package.

When your veg has softened, discard the tea bag and add your tea along with 3-4 cups of vegetable stock, a can of diced tomatoes, and some marinara.

How much marinara?

That depends on your broth preference.

If you like a more tomato-flavored broth, add more marinara.

If you like a thinner broth and less tomato flavor, add less marinara.

See, easy.

You really can’t mess this up.

Just let it simmer for a little while until all the flavors come together.

If it needs salt, add it.

If you want oregano or basil or anything else in your herb/spice arsenal, add it.

Easy.

Once everything is nice and hot and the flavors have all mingled and gotten to know one another, you can also add beans and cooked pasta, if you like that sort of thing.

We certainly do.

Tags: gluten-free, soup, vegan, vegetarian