Tomato Bacon Soup

In the past week, the temperatures have started to warm up and I am loving the first signs of Spring. But, I’m not yet ready to bid farewell to my favorite soup- in fact, I think this soup works year-round.

This tomato bacon soup is a modified version of a recipe I found a few years back in a Rachael Ray magazine and has become a favorite in our household. It makes for a wonderful, hearty dinner, especially when paired with a gooey grilled cheese sandwich. Enjoy!

Yield: 8-10 servings

Fix Portions (per 1 cup serving): 1 green, ¼ yellow, ¼ red

Ingredients

• 4 slices turkey bacon (look for the kind without nitrates and preservatives)
• 1 large (32oz) can of crushed tomatoes (I recommend the Hunts All Natural kind with basil added. If you can't find that, regular crushed tomatoes are fine too)
• 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 fresno (red) chile pepper, finely chopped (remove most of the ribs and seeds- while this is more of a mild/medium heat level, you don’t want the spice to overpower the soup. You just want the flavor the pepper gives because in my opinion it really makes the dish!)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• ½ quart chicken stock (all natural, organic, low sodium is best)
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil and parsley (best with both, but either or works best too)
• Bay leaves (i just use a sprinkle of dried, but you can add a whole fresh bay leaf if you prefer)

Directions

1. In a dutch oven, brown the bacon. Remove from pan. Finely chop.
2. Add the chopped onion, garlic, and fresno to the same pan and saute until tender (you cook it in the pan drippings, but you might need to add a little EVOO depending on how much grease your bacon yielded. Alternatively, if theres more than 1-2 tbsp of bacon grease, I would remove some before sauteeing the veggies, so the soup isn’t overly greasy… just depends on your bacon that day). Season with salt, pepper, and bay leaves.
3. Combine all ingredients in a crockpot and cook until heated through and beans are tender- I usually give it at least 3-4 hours on low, but it can cook all day too!

Bonus

I serve this with a grilled cheese on the side for dipping. The BEST cheese with this recipe is Boars Head 3-Pepper Colby Jack. It has a kick to it, so an alternative cheese might be better for kiddos, but its the perfect pairing!

Italian Tortellini Soup

We have had a stretch of cold weather this past month- freezing rain, ice, snow, and temps in the single digits- brrrrr! Days like that call for a bowl of steaming soup for dinner and this new recipe surely hit the spot!

Yield: 8 servings

21 Day Fix Portions (per 1 cup serving): 1 Yellow, 1 Green, 1 Blue

Ingredients

1. 1 onion, chopped
2. 5 garlic cloves, minced
3. 2 quarts low sodium organic chicken stock/broth
4. ¼ cup fresh basil, finely chopped
5. 2 cups spinach leaves
6. 1 can (28-32oz) crushed tomatoes
7. 1 can (14oz) diced tomatoes
8. 2 tbsp pasta (or tomato) sauce of choice (I used Classico)
9. 1 package refrigerated whole wheat 3-cheese tortellini
10. ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Saute, onions and garlic in a little bit of Extra Virgin Olive Oil until tender. Season with a little italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
2. Add sauteed onions and garlic to the CrockPot along with ingredients 3-8. Cook on low for 3-4 hours, or all day.
3. Right before dinner time, cook the tortellini according to package instructions (should take about 7 minutes in boiling water). Then add to the soup.
4. Use a GREEN container (or 1 cup) to portion your soup. Then add the parmesan cheese to each bowl and fold in- adds the perfect final touch!