Bacon And Tomato Soup From Melinda Lee Recipes

Steps:

• Heat a medium soup pot or deep sided skillet over medium-high heat. To the hot pan add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and the bacon. Cook bacon until brown and crisp. Add the chopped celery. Take peeled carrots and lay flat on cutting board. Hold each carrot at root end and use the vegetable peeler to make long, thin strips of the carrot. Chop the thin slices into small carrot bits or carrot chips, 1/2-inch wide. Add the chips to celery and stir. Cut leeks lengthwise and then into 1/2-inch half moons. Place the leeks into a colander and run under rushing cold water, separating the layers to wash away all the trapped grit. When the leeks are separated and clean, shake off water and add to celery and carrots. Stir veggies together, add a bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. While the leeks cook to wilt, 3 to 4 minutes, slice the potatoes.
• Cut each potato across into thirds. Stand each piece of potato upright and thinly slice it. The pieces will look like raw potato chips.
• Add stock to vegetables and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add potatoes and tomatoes. Cook 8 to 10 minutes until potatoes are tender and starting to break up a bit. Add bacon and parsley and stir. Adjust seasonings. Serve immediately with crusty bread.

Steps:

• Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings. , In the drippings, saute the green pepper, onion, salt, marjoram, thyme and pepper for 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir in the noodles. Add half of the bacon., Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Top with cheese and remaining bacon. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Steps:

• Sauté the chopped onion and diced bacon in the butter in a medium-size (3 quart) saucepan until the onion is soft and the bacon is cooked. *Peel the tomatoes by coring them, cutting an "X" at the opposite end, and placing them into boiling water for about 15 seconds. Remove the tomatoes to the sink and run cold water over them for a moment or so. Drain; the skins will slip off easily. Cut the tomatoes in half and gently squeeze out the seeds, using a fingertip if necessary. A quick rinse will wash away clinging seeds. Chop the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes, the thyme and the bay leaves to the onion and bacon in the saucepan. Sauté for about 6 minutes. Add the stock, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer the soup gently for about 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaves, then process the soup in a food processor, use an immersion blender, or put the soup through a food mill to puree it. [Note: you may also puree the soup in a blender, which will result in an especially smooth texture - some prefer a less-smooth result.] Add the cream (or other dairy choice). Taste to correct seasoning. Sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg. Soup may be served hot or cold with an additional dab of whipped heavy cream or sour cream or yogurt for garnish. COOK'S NOTE: After cream has been added, reheat the soup gently (if serving warm) - do not allow it to boil. A sprinkling of toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds may also be used as garnish, or crisp-cooked crumbled bacon - even tiny cubes of cream cheese, or a sprinkle of fresh-chopped parsley. Recipe adapted from The Complete Book of Soups and Stews by Bernard Clayton, Jr. (Simon & Schuster/Fireside - 1984

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the macaroni, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.
• Place the bacon pieces and onion into a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat, and cook and stir until the onion is beginning to brown and the bacon is crisp, about 10 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beef bouillon cubes, water, garlic powder, onion powder, and cooked macaroni, and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Steps:

• In a small pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and cook until translucent, 5 minutes. Add garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add tomatoes with juice and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cook until onions are soft, 15 minutes. Transfer to a blender with cream; puree until smooth. (Use caution when blending hot liquids: Remove cap from lid and cover opening with a dish towel.) Season to taste.
• In a skillet, cook bacon over medium-high until browned and crisp, 10 minutes; drain on paper towels. Remove pan with fat from heat. Layer 1 bread slice with half the cheese, bacon, and rest of cheese; top with second bread slice. Return pan to heat. Cook sandwich until cheese is melted and bread is browned, 4 minutes, flipping once. Serve with soup, topped with pesto if desired.

Steps:

• Dissolve bouillon cubes in water; set aside.
• Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven until crisp; remove bacon, reserving 2 tbs.
• drippings in Dutch oven.
• Drain bacon on paper towels.
• Add onion and celery to drippings, and saute until transparent, stirring frequently; drain.
• Add bouillon, tomatoes, and next 6 ingredients; bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 20-25 min.
• Add lettuce, and cook 2 min or until lettuce wilts.
• Top with bacon and croutons.
• Serve immediately.
• Yield: 5 cups.