Fast food, episode XIII

My most revisited UaKS story arc over the years has consisted of the "fast food" episodes, which have met with varying degrees of success and interest. The most viewed "fast food" recipes have been for Black Bean Tacos, followed closely by the Quick Tomato Sauce I use to make Baked Ziti and Quick Vodka Pasta, among other things. Some of the other favorites, personal or otherwise, have been Overnight Muesli (manna from heaven), Quick Vegetarian Bean Chili, and Smoky Red Salsa. The latest entry was Quickest Scrambled Eggs, which has hardly been viewed at all but only because Brad and I both quickly memorized how to scramble eggs this way, which we now do 7 or 8 times a week between us, making this easily the most used fast food recipe ever.

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I have a few new entries in the series coming up, starting with today's episode on tomato soup. Mom generally pooh-poohs any attempt I make at introducing tomato soup into our repertoire, apparently because she is scarred by memories of eating far too much Campbell's® tomato soup as a child, even if there supposedly is a reason that Campbell's® "reigns supreme." I finally just went ahead and made this absurdly quick and easy tomato soup and—will wonders never cease—Mom actually gave it an enthusiastic thumbs up (Brad and I concur).

 

I tried to figure out why the combo of tomato soup and grilled cheese is such a big thing, and this is one explanation I found online:

Because of its economy, both dishes are very cheap items. The second is nutrition, which can be more perfect with a combination of starch from bread, fat from cheese and vitamin C from tomatoes. And finally, their taste is really amazing!

Not particularly enlightening, but sure, why not? Or just serve the soup with a salad and/or buttered bread, which is what Ruby Tandoh recommends in her recipe for this soup.

Tomato Soup

Adapted from Cook As You Are (2022) by Ruby Tandoh

Time: ~17 minutes

1 tablespoon (14 grams) olive oil or butter
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, regular or fire-roasted
1 teaspoon dried herbs, such as Italian seasoning or oregano
205 grams (200 ml/~⅞ cup) whole or 2% cow's milk, or creamy non-dairy milk such as oat milk, or full-fat coconut milk
1½ teaspoons (6 grams) granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, more to taste
Buttered bread, to serve

    1. In a large saucepan or saucier, warm the oil or butter over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
    2. Stir in the tomatoes and dried herbs. Once the tomatoes start bubbling, cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    3. Turn off the heat. Stir in the milk, sugar, and salt.
    4. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup completely. Taste for salt. Serve promptly, with a salad and/or buttered bread (or grilled cheese sandwiches). Serves 2 to 3.