First big snowstorm of the season! Snowfall started early this morning and is forecasted to continue all day and through the night. As much as I hate shoveling and dealing with the snow (such as getting to work on a snowy day), there’s just something so amazing about the peacefulness of the snowfall; the lack of vehicles on the road, everything wrapped in the pristine snow, snowflakes flying everywhere and landing on your coat for a millisecond before it melts away… Moments like these make me never want to leave the northeast.
Of course, a snow day means staying in the house all day. So, what do I do to keep busy in between my shoveling duties? I’m sure the answer is pretty clear (just in case you can’t guess, it’s to cook!).
I’ve been in a soup mood ever since the temperature has constantly been below 30 degrees. I really wanted to make a roasted tomato basil soup over the weekend, but didn’t get a chance to get to the grocery store. With no fresh or canned tomatoes on hand, I had to improvise a bit.
Quick Tomato Soup
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 8 oz. marinara sauce (I used Rao’s)
- 16 oz. chicken broth
- 1 15 oz. can of peas, pearl onions, and mushrooms
- 4 oz. baby bella mushrooms, quartered
- 4 oz. ground turkey
- 2 oz. israeli couscous
- 1 shallot, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
- 4 basil leaves
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- In a large pot, over medium high heat, add one teaspoon of olive oil, shallots, and garlic. Cook for about a minute, until golden brown.
- Add ground turkey and saute for a few minutes, until cooked through. Add vegetables.
- Pour in marinara sauce and chicken broth. Mix with other ingredients and turn the heat to low.
- Toss in israeli couscous, red pepper flakes, basil leaves, and season with sea salt and black pepper. Mix well.
- Let simmer for 20 minutes (or until the israeli couscous is cooked).
