Week 23: "Cool & Hot" Tomato Chipotle Soup

Yes, I realize that I've made several tomato soups already, but tomatoes are just so yummy and pair so well with a variety of different ingredients. This week's recipe is Tomato & Chipotle and can be served hot or cold.

Unlike the prior recipes, this one calls for fresh tomatoes rather than canned tomatoes. I decided to stick with that even tho it was a ton more work, but I wanted to see how the fresh would compare with the canned. To prep the tomatoes as the recipe suggested, I cut them in quarters and removed the seeds and membranes. I then cut into 1/2 inch pieces to yield 5 cups. This wasn't so bad. I wore gloves to protect my fingers from getting wrinkled by the water from the tomatoes, and I had some time to kill as I waited for the chipotles to cook.

The recipe also called for dried chipotle peppers rather than the canned chipotle. I found the peppers at Chavez Market in the cellophane package. But... I could not find a package of chipotles. I googled it and tried to find a chile that looked like the picture. I ended up with "Chili Pasilla" which worked just fine. To cook the peppers, I boiled them in hot water for 30 minutes and then removed from the pan and saved the liquid left in the pan. Before soaking, I should have removed the chili seed and membranes, but it wasn't too bad doing that after the chilis were cooked. I chopped the peppers and set them aside. Although the recipe called for only 4 peppers, I cooked more just in case the soup needed more heat (and it did!). I also strained the cooking liquid through a sieve and paper towel.

As much as I love using fresh ingredients, I think the soup would have been just as good with the canned tomato and chipotle in adobo sauce. And it would have saved tons of time, effort and money. And with the organic canned tomatoes, it would have been healthy too! Oh well, you don't know until you try.

After the prep of the chilis and tomatoes, the rest went quickly. I sauteed the chopped onions in olive oil for a few minutes then added the garlic and peppers, stirring for a minute or so. Next, I added the tomatoes, strained liquid from cooking the chilis, chicken stock, salt, and cumin. I brought this to a simmer and let it continue to simmer uncovered for 25 minutes.

I then used my immersion blender to puree. I tasted the soup hear and added more salt, cumin and chili and placed in the fridge to cool overnight.

The next day I served the soup cold with a dollup of sour cream and sprinkle of cilantro. The soup was good but, truthfully neither myself nor the rest of the fam was overwhelmed. But I didn't want to waste, so I took a big bowl full to work for lunch the next day. Under the cold A/C of the office, I decided to eat the soup hot for lunch. What a difference! Heated up the smokey flavors of the chili really showed up! I brought enough for a coworker and he loved it too (also warm).

So the moral of the story is, this soup is awesome served warm, and if you are serving warm, feel free to use the canned tomatoes and chipotle in adobo to save some time and money. And don't skimp on the chili!

Ingredients
1 bag dried chipotle peppers (or canned chipotle in adobo sauce) / $2.49 / Chavez market
3 lbs tomatoes / $1.50/ lb = $4.50 / Real Produce
1/4 cup olive oil / from home
2 cups chopped onion / from home
1 tablespoon minced garlic / from home
2 cups chicken broth / $1.99 / Trader Joe's
kosher salt / from home
2 teaspoons ground cumin / from home (more to taste)
sour cream / $1.79 / Trader Joe's (optional)
1/4 cups chopped cilantro / $0.99 / Chavez Market (optional)


Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6
Taste: 4 stars
Prep: lots of prep if using fresh tomatoes and peppers
Cost: $11.76 ($1.96 per serving)

Week 2: Spicy Pork Chili with Cumin Polenta

This week was kinda intense. For a second, I thought my soup challenge would end early because it seemed like the soup was going to be terrible. I even had to cancel on a friend who was supposed to come over and eat the chili with me since I didn't want to eat it myself!

But I took an overnight break, went wine tasting, and was inspired to add a few things. And what do you know, the chili ended up pretty darn good. I think I would even make it again, but change it up just a tad. This was my first time eating polenta and first time eating chili with no beans, so to be honest, I'm not sure how it was supposed to taste, but either way, it ended up yummy.

The polenta had an interesting texture and I think it helped me to not miss the beans. Letting the chili sit refrigerated overnight ended up really working out. The flavors magically appeared once I heated up the soup and the chili thickened up a lot. The highlight was the slow-cooked pork. It was so tender and delicious. I was worried the reheating would toughen it up, but nope. It was fabulous.

Well, I wish my friend could have tried it after all. And I'm glad to continue my souper challenge. Now I'm even more excited! Oh and my trying to stay close to the recipe... ya, not so much. I changed this one up just a tad, and it turned out great. The next time I make this, it will definitely be spicier!!!


Can't wait for next week! Don't forget to read my last post and pick the recipe you are interested in. Who knows, you might even get invited over to test it with me.

Here's the recipe (that I've adapted) in case you are curious.

Chili

Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. When hot, add 1 1/2 cup onion and 1 cup diced carrots and saute for about 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons minced serrano peppers (I would use more than that next time); cook for 1 minute more. Remove from heat and set veggies aside. Reserve pot.

Put the cubed pork in a large ziplock bag. Add 1/2 cup flour and salt and pepper. Seal and shake to cover pork with flour. Return pot to medium-high heat, adding enough oil to coat the pot. Add one layer of pork to the pan (do not crowd). Brown pork, turning, for 3 - 4 minutes. Transfer pork to a paper towel to drain. Repeat until all pork is browned.

Return all pork to the pan and add garlic. Cook and toss for 1 minute more. Return veggies to the pan. Add tomatoes (I used a second can of tomatoes, very glad I did since I felt the chili needed to be thicker), juice from 2 limes, and 4 cups broth. Bring mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes, then cover and cook until meat is quite tender, for 50 or 60 minutes more. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Chili can be prepared to this point for up to 2 days. I recommend this since it brings out the flavors. I also added an additional serrano pepper sliced in half lengthwise. This was the point I was really worried about the chili. The broth was very oily and there was zero flavor. I added more salt, pepper, the extra serrano chili and some cumin. I let it cool and refrigerated it till the next day. I reheated over medium heat, and added a tad more salt and pepper.

Polenta

Combine 4 cups chicken stock and 2 teaspoons cumin in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Add cornmeal gradually, stirring constantly for 6 - 8 minutes or until thickened. Stir in 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and 1/2 cup whole milk. Taste and add salt as necessary.

To serve, spoon about a 1/2 cup serving in a soup bowl. Ladle the chili over the polenta. The recipe called for a sprinkle of cilantro, which I purchased, but forgot to add. Oppps!

Summary
Spicy Pork Chili with Cumin Polenta
Prep time: 15 minutes to dice veggies
Cook time: 2 hrs day 1, 20 minutes day 2
Servings: 6
Taste: 4 stars (1 = yuck, 4 = yum)
Prep: easy
Cost: $21.27
Stores: 2
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons vegetable oil / from home
1 1/2 cups onion / from home
1 cup diced carrots / $0.86/lb = $0.85 / Lucky's
2 - 3 tablespoons minced serrano peppers / $1.99/lb = $0.34 / Lucky's
3 pounds boneless pork loin, fat trimmed, cubed / $2.49/lb = $8.84 / Lucky's
1/2 cup flour / from home
kosher salt / from home
ground pepper / from home
2 - 3 tablespoons minced garlic / from home
2 28 ounce cans plum tomatoes (organic) / 2 @ $1.99 = $3.98 / Lucky's
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice / $1.00 / Lucky's
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth / $1.99 / Trader Joe's
2 tablespoons chapped fresh cilantro / $0.89 / Lucky's
2 - 3 teaspoons ground cumin / from home
1 cup yellow cornmeal / $2.19 / Lucky's
1 tablespoon butter / from home
1/2 cup whole milk / $1.19 / Lucky's