Soup and Salad. Perfect. Light. Fresh. Even when you incorporate leftovers. I used this big batch of chunky tomato eggplant soup to use as a filling base to my supper and included a fresh salad both nights. Nourishing, inexpensive and just enough cooking to make it feel like I “cooked” but not enough to feel like I slaved (never usually feels like that anyway, but you catch my drift). And definitely enough to feel like I’m eating and supporting local!
Salad:
- 1 small head of butter lettuce
- 1/4 chopped cucumber
- 3 kumquats
- crusty baguette
- Dressing – mustard, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, black pepper, shaken in a small jar
Another salad idea:
- 1 small head of red leaf lettuce
- blanched green beans
- 1/4 chopped cucumber
- 1/3 cup halved strawberries
- a few fruit and nut gourmet crackers
- Same dressing as above
For the chunky soup – here’s what I did. The first night I ate it warm with baguette, the second night I sauteed a few fresh chilis from the garden in olive oil and sea salt and added them to the same soup, chilled.
- 2 eggplant
- 1 carrot
- 1 32 oz can stewed tomatoes
- 2 sprigs mexican oregano
- drizzle of balsamic vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic
- salt and pepper
Saute the eggplant and carrot in a bit of olive oil. Add your can of tomatoes, then 1 can full of water. Add balsamic. Cook and allow to reduce down a bit. Add your oregano and garlic toward the end just before pureeing. Enjoy over the course of a few days, cold or hot.