Tomato Soup with Herbed Croutons

Growing up during the summer months, when I was free as a bird, I would sit on front porch steps and wait for my dad. At noon he’d make the 10-minute walk from work to home for lunch and when he appeared at the edge of the park across from our house I knew it was lunchtime. You could set your clocks by my dad’s routines.

He’s never been much of a multi-tasker and doesn’t juggle many balls in the air. Instead, he focuses on one thing at a time. Like snapshots in a photo album his routines all stand alone and independent of each other.

We’ve never discussed it, but I suppose it’s his military pilot’s mentality that drives that sort of focus on the task at hand. Successful flying requires a “be here now” approach. Distraction, a mere annoyance here on terra firma, is a real threat at 30,000 feet.

So all those years ago he focused on lunch. With intention, he left his desk, walked the short distance home, and sat at the table. Although I was there it wasn’t something we shared. I was with him, but it was his routine. It was his time to clear his head to make room for the afternoon’s work.

Sometimes he made a sandwich, but more often than not he warmed a bowl of soup. We’d sit at the kitchen table and watch an old episode of I Love Lucy or Perry Mason on our small black and white TV. In the span of a 30 minute episode, he’d eat and then head back to work. I’d resume whatever I’d been doing when the clock struck noon.

Fast forward a million years. I’m a technology junkie and distraction-prone person. In the focus department, the apple has rolled from the tree. And lunch! Who has time for that? I rarely stop to enjoy lunch, to clear my head mid-day to make room for new ideas and thoughts to show up in the afternoon. At best, lunch is an afterthought at my desk. Sometimes lunch doesn’t happen at all and by three o’clock I’ve hit a wall.

So I’m pressing the pause button at mid-day now. It’s a chance to re-calibrate so I can tackle my afternoon responsibilities refreshed. I want to snuff out that late day slump.

And soup is on the menu.

Tomato Soup with Herbed Croutons

News Alert: Making soup from scratch during a busy weekday is not realistic! But carving out 40 minutes on a Sunday afternoon to make a big pot not only sets up easy-to-warm up lunches for the week, but also provides a pocket of solace before the work week commences. Chopping, stirring, and simmering a cozy pot of soup is a dose of therapy. It’s feel-good experience.

Some Ingredients You’ll Need

• In the winter months, when tomatoes are scarce or, at best, sad and flavorless at the grocery store, good quality canned tomatoes save the day. I like to use San Marzano whole tomatoes. They cost more than regular canned tomatoes, but their flavor and sweetness are well worth the extra change.
• I used chicken stock, but for an all-veggie soup experience substitute vegetable stock.
• I like my tomato soup bright. A splash of balsamic vinegar makes that happen.
• I topped my soup with Parmesan cheese, but feta, blue cheese, or cheddar works well, too. A different cheese each day, perhaps?
• In my world, no soup is complete without a garnish, so while the soup simmered I made some simple croutons. They keep well for a few days in an airtight container, but feel free to substitute your favorite store-bought brand.

More Soup Recipes

Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Bisque

 

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Hearty Veggie Soup with White Beans and Kale

Print