This morning I stocked up on Ruiz chicken tamales, which made lunch an “affair to remember.” The tamales – along with cream of tomato soup – are one of my favorite lunches and I managed to put away three of the tasty morsels (each bite dipped in the soup, of course). I typically eat only one meal a day, so I tend to make the most of it. The rest of my sustenance includes of coffee and lattes (as I’ve often said), sometimes with a handful of nuts for a snack (varying between Spanish peanuts, cashews, sunflower seeds or almonds).

 

Speaking of tomato soup (which is the only dish that needs to accompany the tamales in my humble opinion), I recently added a recipe to the Soups, Stews & Sauces page at Shenanchie’s Kitchen:

 

Cream of Tomato Soup 

3 cans whole tomatoes (28 oz. each), packed in liquid, drained, liquid reserved

2 TBS unsalted butter

1 C onion, finely chopped

2 TBS flour

2 C chicken stock or broth

¼ C full-bodied dry white wine

1 TBS tomato paste

1 TBS lemon juice

1 TBS sugar

¾ C heavy cream

salt to taste

 

Place the oven rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450°. Line a jelly roll pan or rimmed cookie sheet with foil. Put the tomatoes from two cans in a single layer on the pan or cookie sheet. Roast the tomatoes for thirty minutes. Remove from sheet and peel off any clinging foil; cut off any browned parts. Cut each tomato in half. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan. Over medium heat, sauté the onion for about ten minutes; until the onion is soft. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the flour. Return the pan to medium heat and whisk in the chicken stock or broth. Stir in two cups of the reserved tomato liquid, the wine, tomato paste, lemon juice, sugar and roasted tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about ten minutes to blend, stirring occasionally.

 

Remove the tomatoes from the soup and blend in a food processor with some of the liquid; puree. Set aside and puree the rest of the mixture; combine in a pot and season with salt. Warm the soup over low heat; add the cream and stir to blend. Serve hot. Tips: Save the tomatoes from the third can for another use. This soup can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to two days. Reheat over low heat; do not boil.

 

The recipe appeared with the January update at Shenanchie’s Kitchen.