Soup with Bread

Tuesday I had to go to town to do a favor for my sister. I didn't feel like stopping by the grocery store on the way home, but we were out of bread. What to do? I headed into the kitchen around 9 pm to mix up a loaf of "No Knead Bread". Everybody does it, and I had tried this recipe once before with disappointing results, but my friend Cathleen makes it and it is delicious. I used this recipe from Williams Sonoma. Instead of regular flour I used bread flour; I used hot tap water; and I omitted the flavorings, except for salt. I placed the dough in front of my wood burning stove for the night. At 9 am the next morning it was ready for the next step and produced a really airy and flavorful bread. Bob has a cold (not the flu, thank the stars) so I thought soup and the bread would be a welcome dinner. Instead of opening a can of Campbell's Tomato, I decided to make Creamy Tomato Soup. To the recipe I added some left over fresh veges from my refrig, but I have made it without the fennel and celery and it is just as good. Do try it.

2 TBS olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp fresh herbs of your choice

1/2 fennel bulb, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

Salt & fresh ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring often, for several minutes. Add the other veges and continue cooking and stirring until the veges start to soften. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and herbs and cook for another 2 minutes.

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

6 oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

2 TBS balsamic vinegar

Add these remaining ingredients to the pot. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low.

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 C heavy cream

Stir in the baking soda until combined. Add the cream. Stir and simmer for a few minutes. You can puree by using an immersion blender or regular blender, but I don't bother. Makes 4 servings.