creamy tomato & white bean soup with herb & parmesan croutons

crispy croutons in a smooth soupy bite

Who doesn't love grilled cheese & tomato soup?  This recipe unites this classic into one bowl and one bite.  The soup has more body because I've added white kidney beans, which adds a very mild flavour once pureed but doesn't disturb the tomato yumminess of a creamy tomato soup. The addition of beans makes the soup meal-like, as they are a great source of protein and fibre. The homemade croutons are a perfect touch to add texture and flavour, as they are tossed in herbs, olive oil and parmesan.  A perfect meal for a cold fall day.

what you need:

• 1 large can tomatoes (no salt added)
• 1 540 mL can white beans, drained (kidney or cannellini) 
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup cream *optional* 
• 1 red chilli, thinly sliced *optional*
• 1 green onion
• a few slices of day old bread (I used whole wheat)
• fresh herbs (whatever you have on hand, I used sage, oregano, parsley)
• parmesan cheese
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

what to do:

1. In a large pot, heat up butter and 1 tsp olive oil on medium heat.  Add onions and sauté until tender and golden.  If you like some heat in your soup, add the red chilli and sauté with onions.
2. Add tomatoes and beans.  Add bay leaf.
3. Bring to a gentle boil then turn down your heat down to simmer for about 20-30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 375 F.
5. Cut bread into bite size pieces.  Finely chop herbs, about 1 tbsp of each.  Place them in a large bowl, then drizzle about 1 tbsp olive oil over bread pieces.  Toss to coat and mix herbs.  Season lightly with salt and pepper.  Thinly slice green onion and set aside.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Spread bread pieces out - no overlapping for even browning.  Grate parmesan cheese over top of bread.
7. Bake in the middle rack of the oven for about 5 minutes, or until croutons are crispy and golden brown.  Be sure to check often to avoid burning.
8. Remove soup from heat and when cool enough to handle, use an immersion blender or a blender to puree the soup until smooth.  Pour soup back into the pot and place it over medium heat, adding cream if desired.  Taste, and add salt and pepper as desired.
9. Serve soup hot, sprinkle a few green onions on top and then top with a few croutons.  Put extra croutons in a separate small bowl for extra dipping (this way they don't all get soggy right away!) - Enjoy!

mah jong mien (aka peanut butter noodles)

a light meal that is rich in flavour

I have no idea why this is called Mah Jong Mien in Taiwan, as it has nothing to do with the game of tiles, but it has been a staple go to meal growing up in our household.  My mom is the queen of putting together a healthy home cooked meal in minutes from items found in her pantry and fridge, and this peanut butter noodle dish is just one of those.  I think we ate this as kids weekly - and still do whenever we are home to visit.  My mom's version is even simpler - she mixes peanut butter, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and garlic together in a bowl until smooth then tosses it with the noodles and vegetables.  It's super easy and tasty.  Below is my take on our family staple.

what you need:

for the peanut sauce

• 2 heaping tbsp natural peanut butter
• 2 tbsp naturally brewed soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 slices fresh ginger
• 1 large garlic clove
• 2 green onions
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp grapeseed oil (or vegetable oil)
• 1 tsp white pepper 

for the noodles

• 4 servings of any dry asian noodle, you can even use pasta (e.g. linguine)
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 handful fresh cilantro
• a small bunch broccolini (or broccoli) 

what to do:

1. Start by getting your sauce ready.  Thinly slice ginger and roughly chop garlic.  Cut off bottom white part of green onions (about 2 inches) and slice lengthwise.  Get the rest of the ingredients for the sauce measured and ready on hand.
2. In a small sauce pan on medium, heat up grapeseed and sesame oil.  Add ginger, garlic, and onions.  Sauté for about 1 min, then deglaze with the water.  Add soy sauce, peanut butter, vinegar, and white pepper.  Stir until peanut butter dissolves, and reduce heat down to a simmer.  Allow it to reduce to about half.

   

   garlic, onions, and ginger sautéing

   

   reducing sauce

3. Get a large pot of water on the stove on high heat to cook the noodles.
4. While waiting for the pot to boil, clean and prepare vegetables.  Peel and grate the carrots, and slice broccoli into long slim pieces.  Slice remaining green onion on a bias and roughly tear cilantro.  
   
5. Once the water is boiling, add noodles.  Depending on what kind of noodles you are using, your cooking time will vary.  Whatever your package indicates, set your timer for 1 minute shy of it's cooking time.  This is because you want to put the vegetables in with the noodles to cook for 1 minute.  
   
6. Drain noodles and vegetables, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
7. Return noodles and vegetables to pot and pour reduced peanut sauce over noodles and toss.  You may need to add a little bit of the cooking liquid if the noodles seem too dry.  Toss in some of your cilantro and green onions, but reserve a small amount for garnish.
8. Transfer noodles to serving platter and top with cilantro and green onion for garnish.  Serve with your favourite hot sauce if desired - we used sriracha.  Enjoy!

with sriracha