Triple Tomato, Rice and Cheddar Soup
2 cups diluted canned chicken or beef broth, or vegetable bouillon cubes
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (3 1/2 cups)
12 ounces V-8 juice (1 1/2 cups)
One 14-ounce can Italian-style plum tomatoes (1 1/2 cups), coarsely chopped
and including juice
1 large clove garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons sugar
Freshly ground pepper
8 to 10 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (preferably white), shredded or cut into
fine strips (about 3 cups, loosely packed)
3 cups cooked Carolina rice
In a 3-quart saucepan, combine all the ingredients except the cheese. Simmer
gently, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Serve very hot, following the tomato soup and
rice instructions above.
Variations: You can turn this into a chili-style dish by adding chili powder or
your choice of chopped dried chilies -- chipotle add a haunting smoky flavor. A
Fresh Touch: Chopped fresh parsley, basil, dill or coriander are all good
additions. Chunks of avocado are thematic and a good bland contrast if you
decide to zip up the soup with chilies.
Serves 4 to 6 from "What to Cook When You
Think There's Nothing in the House to Eat," by Arthur Schwartz (HarperCollins,
1992)
When I was a child, my mother just opened a single can of Campbell's and
combined it with Carolina. Two-upping Mom, I think of this as: three cans are
better than one. Mound plain boiled rice in the center of the bowl, then ladle
the soup around it so a peak of white shows through. If you like, scatter strips
or shreds of cheese on top. It's a substantial meal in a bowl.
AUTHOR: Jerseygirl |