Tomato Soup with Smoked Chicken – Canyon Villa

By Wills Carter, Proprietor of Canyon Villa – A Luxurious and Intimate Inn

This hearty soup is ideal for long winter nights. It is simple to prepare. The chicken and cheese may be omitted to please vegan diets. Double the ingredients and freeze half for future enjoyment. Serves four.

Wine Pairing: Caliza Winery 2017 End of Day Red Cuvee

Ingredients

1  can  San Marzano tomatoes-28 oz can (Cento brand)

1   large white onion, finely chopped

2   TB   extra virgin olive oil

¼ tsp    coarse salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 TB tomato paste (purchase tomato paste in a tube)

½ tsp granulated sugar

½ cup whole-grain red bulgur (Bob’s Red Mill brand)

5 cups water

Freshly ground pepper and coarse salt to taste

Garnish
1 smoked/cooked chicken breast, boneless/skinless, cubed ½“

extra virgin olive oil-as needed to drizzle

¼ tsp Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated per serving

2 TB fresh basil-chiffonade

Instructions: Coarsely crush the tomatoes with a potato masher in a mixing bowl. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat and add the onion and salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft and translucent, 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about one minute.

Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and sugar and bring to a simmer. Stir often with a rubber spatula ensuring to scrape along the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching. Allow the tomatoes to cook down slightly, about 12 minutes.

Add the bulgur, water, and salt to taste and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer 30 to 45 minutes, until the bulgur is soft, and the soup thickens. Add pepper and salt to taste. Transfer to a container and place in an ice bath to cool for one hour.

You can store the soup in the refrigerator for up to five days. Be sure to label and date the soup.

Service: Warm the soup over a medium-low flame, stirring often to prevent scorching until simmering. Thin with additional water if needed. Once heated through, add the smoked/cooked cubed chicken breast. Continue heating for five minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with olive oil, Pecorino Romano, and basil (in that order).

Notes: This hearty soup is ideal for long winter nights. It is simple to prepare. The chicken and cheese may be omitted to please vegan diets. Double the ingredients and freeze half for future enjoyment.