New Food Journey Starting With Soup

My wife Kaynettia just had the vertical sleeve gastrectomy surgery. For the last nine days she has only had soft foods like jello, pudding, or yogurt. Yesterday she had mashed potatoes. When we talk about food think maybe a quarter cup of food. A few bites before she is full. Food will never be the same. 

After the surgery we are on a new journey of eating healthier and trying new recipes. Today I decided to start with a soup. Considering she can't eat much, but I wanted something we could both enjoy. The easiest types of soups for her to eat right now are creamy types. We are going to try a Roasted Tomato Soup by Food Network's Sunny Anderson. For my wife I may need to blend it extra so it is smooth for her. 

Let's start with the ingredients:

Ingredients 4 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme 8 cloves garlic, peeled 8 Roma tomatoes, halved and seeded 2 red peppers, quartered and seeded 1 medium onion, quartered Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper One 6-ounce can tomato paste 6 cups vegetable stock 1/4 cup loosely packed chiffonade fresh basil, for serving Original recipe makes 8 servings.

Preparation: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare the first four ingredients and place on half-sheet sized baking sheet with lip. Throw thyme stems on top. Drizzle with EVOO and Balsamic. Add salt and pepper. Toss slightly. Arrange so vegetables are mostly cut side down. Bake for 45-50 minutes.

Remove veg and any juices from baking sheet to dutch oven (or similar) over medium-high heat. Add tomato paste and stir to combine. Add stock. Cover and bring to boil. (About 5 mins.) Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 20 minutes. Pull thyme stems from mixture. Hit with immersion blender on low, using caution. Several downward passes work best. Blend to desired consitency. Serve with basil chiffonade as garnish, if desired.

Tip on Blending Hot liquids:

When blending hot liquids, remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid; that prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times, then process on high speed until smooth. 

So cooking this meal was my first time making soup. I found it easy to make. The end result was so delicious. This so far is my favorite tomato soup recipe. My wife was able to enjoy a little bit of soup. Of course I made a grilled cheese sandwich to go with my meal. It might not be the healthiest of choices, however it was very delicious. Changing eating habits takes a moment. I will be working on it. For me I have to take away and add slowly till its all healthy. The doctor said that's fine.

 A little advice on making gourmet grilled cheese is always buy your cheese at the deli. They can give you as many slices as you need. If I would have bought the pre-packaged sliced cheese I would have spent at least $20 just on cheese. At $4-6 a pop that's expensive. You really don't use fancy cheese every day unless you are a chef. These food channels have it looking like we all have these expensive spices, and cheeses, etc on hand at all times. We don't. I knew I was only making a couple of sandwiches so I only asked for the amount of cheese I would need. No need to waste food when the cost of food is rising. 

I hope you give this recipe a try. I'm sure you will enjoy it especially if you like tomato soup. I appreciated that there was no cream added. The flavors of the roasted vegetables is incredible. I have a feeling I will be making this again in the future. Everyone in our household gave it a thumbs up. That is not always easy to do with a picky crowd.

-XO Mrs. & Mrs.