Spicy Marinara Soup

Firstly, I promised you clear back here that I'd give you this killer homemade burger recipe.  Remember?  The one that both Husband and I ate two of.  Each.  That night. TWO.

I found the recipe here on Bev Cooks.  The trick is that you grind your own burger meat out of good sirloin steaks!  See that pretty ground meat up there?  That totally came out of my food processor straight from a good steak.  It made the burgers SO flavorful and juicy.  Do it.  Grill up some onions to go on top.  And be sure to make the pub sauce with it!  We really loved the unique flavor of it.

But what I reeeeeeally want to talk about is a dead simple and delicious tomato soup recipe.  I've tried a LOT of tomato soup recipes, and I can never get something that's not too acidic or doesn't require a lot of tomato-roasting time.  But this recipe?  Done in minutes.  Done in the time it takes your husband to make you a grilled cheese.

(I'm sorry for the weirdo dimensions of this picture. It was either that, or give you a picture that was half blurry, half not, and I love your eyes, so I went with this.)

Also, make all the grilled cheeses with avocado.  Creamy deliciousness that melts in your mouth!

And, without further ado, the quickest tomato soup you'll ever make.  The trick is a bottle of GOOD marinara sauce!

Spicy Marinara Soup
(adapted from Giada's recipe here)

2 Tbs. olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and diced**
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 (26 oz) jar marinara sauce*
1 1/2 - 2 cups chicken broth
1 (15 oz) can Northern or Cannellini beans (any white bean is fine), drained and rinsed
chopped fresh basil

In your favorite soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and add the carrots, onion, and bell pepper.  Salt and pepper these well.  Saute until the onion begins to be translucent and the carrots are softening.  Toss in the garlic and red pepper flakes, and saute for another 30 seconds.

Pour in the marinara, chicken broth, and beans, and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer until the carrots have softened to your desired consistency, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Ladle the soup into bowls, and top with fresh basil!  Ooh, even some fresh parmesan right up on, too?  Great.  Do that!  And enjoy!


*I used Trader Joe's classic marinara because I love the flavor.  Giada recommends San Marzano (fancy stuff!), but use whatever brand has your favorite flavor.  That's a big part of your soup, after all!

**Be sure to dice your carrots small enough that they will soften quickly (a 1/4 to 1/2 inch dice).  Husband diced the carrots, and there were large half moon chunks that just didn't soften because they were too big.  I didn't say anything beforehand because I'm tryyyyying to not be a weirdo control freak in the kitchen.  It's hard!

Last note on this recipe.  Giada adds a half cup of small pasta to hers.  That would be delicious, but we had enough carbs going with our grilled cheese.  And in our house?  Grilled cheese trumps little pasta.  Every. Single. Time.