Pairings Thick Tomato Bread Soup Catalan Style Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in 3 minced garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon oregano and a pinch of salt; cook until softened, about 30 seconds. Add 1 cup water, the tomatoes, squash, chicken broth, parmesan rind, 3/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the squash is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon oregano and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Brush inside the bread bowls and place on a baking sheet. Cut the bread tops into cubes and add to the baking sheet. Bake until toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle the mozzarella around the edges of the bread bowls and on top of the bread cubes. Continue baking until the cheese starts melting, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Stir the heavy cream into the soup, bring to a simmer and remove from the heat. Discard the parmesan rind. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender. Serve the soup in the bread bowls. Top with the cheesy croutons and parmesan and drizzle with olive oil.

Steps:

• Coat a large wide pot with olive oil over medium heat and add the onions. Season with salt and crushed red pepper, to taste, and cook until the onions are soft and very aromatic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Toss in the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes. Add the wine and cook until it has reduced by half. Stir in the tomatoes, season with salt, to taste, and cook until the tomatoes are really soft and juicy, about 12 to 15 minutes. Toss in the whole basil leaves.
• Working in batches, carefully puree the tomatoes in a blender*. Return the tomato puree to the pot and add the tomato juice and the bread. Cook the soup over medium heat for until the bread has completely lost its shape and the soup is really thick, about 20 minutes. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and serve garnished with grated cheese, basil chiffonade and a drizzle of big fat finishing oil.

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large sauté pan. Add garlic and cook over low heat till soft. Add chorizo, raise heat and cook until starting to brown. Stir in paprika. Remove from heat.
• Place a sieve over the pan, halve tomatoes horizontally and hold cut side down over sieve as you gently squeeze to remove seeds and allow juice to fall into pan. Remove sieve. Reserve tomato pulp. Heat juice in pan until warm, add saffron and set aside off heat 10 minutes.
• Finely chop tomato pulp by hand or in food processor. Add to pan. Bring to a simmer. Stir in bread. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to stand, off heat, stirring from time to time, until room temperature, about 30 minutes. Fold in parsley and serve.

Steps:

• Prepare grill for cooking. If using a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom of grill, then light charcoal. Charcoal fire is medium-hot when you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for 3 to 4 seconds. If using a gas grill, preheat burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then reduce heat to moderate.
• Cut bread into 3/4-inch-thick slices (cut baguette on a long diagonal for 6-inch-long slices).
• Working in batches of 3 or 4 slices, grill bread on lightly oiled grill rack, covered only if using a gas grill, turning over once, until grill marks appear, 1 to 2 minutes total per batch. Remove bread from heat and immediately rub 1 side of each slice with cut side of a garlic half, then rub with cut side of a tomato half, using 1 tomato half for 1 to 2 slices of bread and allowing most of pulp to be absorbed by bread (discard remainder of garlic and tomato halves). Brush bread with oil, then sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and pinch of red-pepper flakes (if using) and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until they begin to break down and release their liquid, 5 minutes.
• Add 3 cups water and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then add bread and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until bread is soft and soup thickens, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• To serve, divide soup among serving bowls, drizzle with a little oil, and top with basil leaves.

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, and cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Meanwhile, pulse the tomatoes in a food processor fitted with the steel blade until coarsely blended.
• Add the garlic to the pot. Cook, stirring, for about a minute until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, red chili flakes, and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have cooked down, about 10 minutes.
• Stir the bread cubes into the tomatoes. Add the water, half the basil and salt to taste. Increase the heat, and simmer, stirring and mashing the bread, for about 10 minutes until the soup is thick, like pap. Stir in the remaining basil, and taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve hot, warm or room temperature with the remaining olive oil drizzled over each serving.