Steele (the Day)

Functional Foodie Friday: Spicy Tomato Soup

// January 20th, 2012 // Functional Foodie, My Fabulous Life

This soup was stolen from Giada, but there’s a back story. Isn’t there always?

Apparently my cooking has been a bit too healthy earthy for Ron Burgundy. What with my many Ball jars of grains and rice and pasta, he was obviously craving some good old fashioned (what he calls) food. I got home late from the gym and he had stopped at the local grocery and bought canned soup – tomato and chicken noodle. Yes, those were always comfort foods to me growing up, too, until I read the labels. Apparently he wanted to live in the past. No big deal. At least he was cooking!!

Open can! Add water! Heat! He COOKS!

But I shuddered when I saw the big box of salty white poison saltines. I don’t think we’ve had them in the house since the kids left – a long, long time ago, and he uses about a half a sleeve in his soup. Surely I could come up with something a little more healthy for my aging maturing husband, who so nobly gave up pop this year. And if you know him, that’s BIG. We’re talking 6-8 cans of Mountain Dew or Sundrop a day, but it was rarely consumed in my presence.

(He dislikes the eyeroll).

The next night I took some healthy cans from my pantry, armed myself with the Google, and set to work looking for something that would mimic that disgusting soup that rhymes with Rambles, but would still be healthy. Can you pronounce the things on the label? I didn’t think so. They were hard enough for me to memorize in chemistry class. Replacing the crackers with sneaky protein and whole grain pasta was brilliant, and quite obviously not my idea.

Win! He loved this. Ate two big bowls, and didn’t even mind the kick of the red pepper.

But I did see him throw a few crackers in it. He thinks I don’t notice things like that.

Spicy Tomato Soup (adapted from Giada De Laurentiis)

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (28-ounce) can Trader Joe’s Marinara Sauce (read the ingredients! Real food!)
24 ounces unsalted chicken stock (Kitchen Basics is the BEST)
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup small pasta (I used brown rice elbows; next time I’ll use a smaller one like anellini)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
a few fat shaves of pecorino romano cheese

Directions

Tea tonight: Mystic Dragon

Related posts:

1. Functional Foodie Friday: Winter Lentil Soup
2. Functional Foodie Friday: Spicy Peanut Noodles
3. Functional Foodie Friday: Ebony and Ivory Soup with Kale
4. Functional Foodie Friday: Azteca Squash Soup
5. Functional Foodie Friday: Wild Rice and Portobello Soup