I'm not kidding with that subject line. If you feel at home in a kitchen and really know how to prepare foods, don't read this item. It's for guys like me who are terrible at it and are searching for the simplest, idiot-proof recipes they can find — something that doesn't involve difficult words like "sauté" or "roux." This is one…
Ever since the Souplantation chain went under, I've been searching for a simple Creamy Tomato Soup. Some of you recommended store-bought brands in cans or boxes. I tried every one I could find and didn't find what I was seeking. Then I tried a few simple recipes and they were okay but not ideal either in terms of taste or simplicity. Finally though, I found this.
I am not saying this yields great soup but it's great enough for me. It's real quick…which matters because I'm real lazy when it comes to cooking, which is some (not all) of the reason I'm real bad at it. And it basically only requires these three ingredients…
I take a jar of my favorite marinara sauce (Rao's) and I blend it in a blender until it has the texture of soup instead of sauce. Then I add a certain amount of chicken stock and a certain amount of heavy whipping cream and then I stir a lot as I heat it on the stove 'til it's warm. And then I put some of it into a bowl, toss in some croutons and serve it…so far, only to myself.
What are these "certain amounts?" I'm still experimenting. My most recent batch involved an entire 28 oz. jar of Rao's (the size they sell real cheap in a two-pack at Costco), a cup-and-a-half of chicken stock, a half-cup of the whipping cream…and I'm also playing around with onion powder and garlic salt and such. If/when I settle on exact amounts, I'll post them here…but anything around those proportions is quite edible. Or at least, it's better than any Creamy Tomato Soup I bought in a store.
I make this on Wednesdays and Saturdays. That's because my cleaning lady comes on Thursdays and Sundays and I want her to wash the pan and the blender and everything. I told you I was lazy when it comes to cooking.