Chef Michael Symon's Spicy Tomato & Blue Cheese Soup

I love foods that make us warm when the weather gets increasingly colder. Since Rhode Island has had snowfall already (it wasn't even November yet?!?!)  I figured I would add a recipe that I made from The Chew. Chef Michael Symon made this amazing spicy tomato soup ( spiced up with Sriracha ), but you could use regular ole hot sauce or whatever you want or if you don't like spicy things don't use it at all. A great contrast to the hot sauce is the blue cheese that you stir into the soup and crumble on top. As I ate it I thought crumbled bacon would have been a great addition. How did Michael Symon not come up with that? He is all about Pork. Oh well.. anyway I like this recipe because it is super easy to make. 


You can even use canned tomatoes. I followed Chef Symon's advice and used San Marzano tomatoes since they are so sweet they don't require that much cooking time. Once the soup is put together you can blend in a blender or use an immersion hand blender to break up the tomatoes ( thanks Becky I love mine!)I added a piece of bread on top only because I love bread and it was great with the soup. Also if you don't have or don't like blue cheese feel free to use feta or even goat cheese. 

Here is Chef Symon's Recipe featured on The Chew.

Ingredients

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 sprig oregano

1 medium red onion finely chopped

Kosher salt

4 cloves garlic sliced

28 oz San Marzano tomatoes with their juice (1 can)

1½ cup Chicken Stock

¾ cup heavy cream

2 tablespoon sriracha sauce

1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves

1/2 cup of blue cheese

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a 4-quart pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and a three-fingered pinch of salt and sweat for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to sweat for 2 more minutes. Add the tomatoes, their juice, and the stock and bring to a simmer. Tie up a sprig of oregano and place it into the soup with the string hanging over the side of the pot.  Add the cream, sriracha sauce, and oregano and simmer for 10 to 25 minutes.

2. Remove oregano sprig.  Pour the soup into a blender, add the blue cheese, and blend until smooth, working in batches if needed.  Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean pot, taste, adjust the seasoning if necessary, and reheat to serve. The soup will keep, covered in the refrigerator, for a few days.

3. When serving top with a dollop of greek yogurt or sour cream and some extra hot sauce.

If you want to see the Chew Website and video of him making it on the show please use link below.

http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Michael-Symon-Tomato-Blue-Cheese-Soup