Happy Holidays from Kiwi and Carrot! We hope you are blessed to be with family and loved ones at this holiday season! We thought we’d throw in a little Spicy Tomato Soup to warm you up in the midst of all your traditional parties and fun. It’s just the thing after all that “Who pudding and rare Who roast beast” we’ve all been feasting on. Simple comfort food. Enjoy!
For me, it just isn’t Christmas unless it’s a WHITE Christmas. I was feeling just a tad bit grumpy as we went to our Christmas Eve parties this year in the pouring RAIN. It NEVER rains here on Christmas. That’s what April is for. It just didn’t feel quite right. And then…
Sunday morning, we awoke to a full foot of powdery snow! Christmas miracle, right? Yes. It was beautiful, magical, and everything we could ask for on Christmas morning. Except. We own some rental properties, and Drew, my husband, plows them himself. He loves doing it, but when it snows, he’s on snowplow duty.
And so, for 8 hours on Christmas Day, he and our boys worked tirelessly, clearing sidewalks and driveways so people could get to their holiday parties and Christmas church services, while I prepared our traditional crab cake dinner.
For a time, I was all alone. It felt a little weird. And then, I thought of the Grinch, who learned something so profound from all those adorable Whos: “Maybe Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!” What better way to spend Christmas than to serve?
My heart might have grown a few sizes this year, as I thought of my boys out in the snow, working, serving. Yes, we had our ribbons, our tags, our packages, boxes and bags, and even our roast beast. But I was so grateful for an unusual Christmas Day, when I got to spend a quiet moment to reflect on things more important than all that.
Thank you, boys. Thank you, Drew.
Merry Christmas.
Ingredients
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon
- 1 large red or yellow onion
- 12-14 large tomatoes (about 4 pounds)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 Tbsp. chipotles in adobo
- 1 Tbsp. fresh or 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup half and half
Instructions
- Cut bacon into bite-sized pieces and brown in large skillet. Set bacon aside and drain pan of all but about 1 Tbsp. bacon grease.
- Chop onions and add to reserved grease. Saute until soft.
- Roughly chop tomatoes. Add tomatoes and garlic to pan. Cook for one minute.
- Add all the ingredients except half and half. Bring to boil, turn down heat and simmer 20-30 minutes.
- Cool slightly. Add to blender in batches and blend to a smooth consistency.
- Stir in half and half.
Notes
*Add more or less chipotles depending on your preference for heat. They add a wonderful smoky taste, but also a lot of spicy heat. Start small and taste as you go!
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