Saturday Night Round Up: Balsamic Tomato Soup with Eggplant and Bacon

I usually arrange my grocery delivery for Sunday mornings, and I have a goal to finish off the rest of the previous week’s groceries before then. I’m calling this series the “Saturday Night Round Up”…essentially what I end up making with the food in my fridge before new groceries come. I think the first installation was pretty successful…

Ingredients

Marinara sauce (about a cup and a half)
Skim milk (about a cup)
Greek yogurt (plain, unsweetened)
Eggplant (I had three, small)
Cherry tomatoes (I had about ten good ones left)
Bacon (I had four slices…I was clearly not eating enough bacon this week. The shame.)
Olive oil
Balsamic
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt
Pepper

Make It Happen

Cut the eggplant and tomato

(I usually slice eggplant rounds and then quarter those. Makes for a quick cook through.)

Pour marinara sauce, greek yogurt, and skim milk into large pot

Stir until well mixed (don’t put on the heat just yet)

Saute minced garlic in pan with olive oil

Put in eggplant and tomato, top with olive oil and stir well

Cook all the way through, adding any desired spices

Add to marinara base, turn heat to medium

Cut bacon into small pieces (bite sized)

Fry in pan, and add balsamic half way through

(The balsamic mixed with the salty, fatty bacon added a dreamy sweetness to the soup)

Add to soup, mix well

Let simmer until thoroughly heated

Bowl, beer, and Daily Show

Happy Saturday Night!

 

“Creamy” Tomato Tortellini Soup (with Eggplant and Zucchini)

What’s that sound? Leaves cracking beneath my feet? A crisp wind rustling the trees? A bunch of mooncakes getting thrown in the trash? Yup. Fall is almost here. You know what that means…it’s time to board the soup train to comfy town!

Get out those scarves, boots, sweaters, pumpkin-spice lattes, picnic blankets, light flannel shirts, musky cologne, and chow down on some of this…

Ingredients

Boxed or fresh cheese tortellini
1 zucchini
1 eggplant
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans condensed tomato soup
1 can chicken broth
1 cup skim milk
1 cup greek yogurt (plain, unsweetend)
Salt
Pepper
Italian or all seasoning
Basil flakes
Olive oil

Make It Happen

If you have boxed tortellini, cook completely first

(if you have fresh, you can just drop them in at the end)

While this is boiling, chop and cook the zucchini and eggplant in olive oil, salt, and pepper

Drain the tortellini

In a large mixing bowl, combine tomato soup (no water added), chicken broth, milk, and yogurt

Mix in some salt, pepper, italian or all seasoning, and basil flakes

Set aside

In a pot (large enough for a lot of soup in the end) sauté the garlic in a little olive oil

Watch for it to start to brown, but don’t let it burn

When that is ready, pour in the soup base (pour carefully)

Bring to a simmer on the stove

Add veggies, stir well

Add tortellini, stir well

Serve and enjoy!