Stew, Anyone?

This has been an odd season; I have both sweated while carrying the baby in the Bjorn, and gotten stuck in the snow while pushing said baby in the stroller (thank goodness for the kindness of strangers and a policeman).

Anyhoo. 

One thing I miss pre-child (aside from my alcohol tolerance and the need for moderation)? Eating. Like a meal that I can enjoy leisurely versus just shoveling food in my face in a race to beat his waking from a nap and howling, or in race against him growing bored with his chew toy (sorry, teething ring) and howling. Am I bitter? Absolutely. So my will to even contemplate cooking, let alone be creative when not using the crockpot that is, is laughable.  However, every once in awhile I get an idea I can pull off in minutes. 

The first time I made this, my challenge was to use up some sliced sourdough bread that was chilling (read: slowly going stale) and I don't do bread pudding. And, bread crumbs aren't very useful in this household. And, why don't packages of bread come in half sizes so that you have a bloody chance of finishing it off before its demise. 

But I digress. 

A few years ago I was introduced to a tomato basil soup that used chunks of bread to thicken, and a drizzle of olive oil to finish. I recall really liking the simplicity of this hearty soup so that recipe started as a base for this idea that yielded hearty results, tasty leftovers, and only required chopping four ingredients. By the time punk baby started needing attention, I was stirring everything together and hey, I can mom and stir at the same time. 

The Bread is Going Stale Stew (a soup I wished someone had made for me, but we can't have everything in life).  Exact measurements are not necessary here: 2 packages of Pomi, or canned San Marazano tomatoes, a few garlic cloves, vegetables (on hand I had carrots, onions, some kale, and a bell pepper), sliced bread (I've done sourdough and whole wheat), and meatballs (optional).

I didn't add meatballs the first time I made this, but sometimes you want to play around with a dish.  Next time I'll sub in white beans, to keep this vegetarian and cheap, plus the beans will soak up the flavor.

My method, after chopping everything, was to brown the meatballs in a little olive oil first and then remove them from the pan.  It's okay if they break apart because this is rustic, comfort food.  Add a little more oil and stir in the garlic, onions and carrots followed by the bread.  Keep an eye on this because the bread will start to stick and then burn.  When everything is starting to smell aromatic, add your tomatoes and like 1 1/2cups of water.  I also added the kale at this point and some fresh herbage.  Oh, and add the meatballs.  Turn down the heat and let your stew simmer for about 20 minutes.  Don't forget to stir periodically, check the taste, and season as needed.

If everything goes according to plan, when this is done the bread pieces will thicken up the tomato base nicely and any pieces that are left will melt in your mouth.  So delicious!  Finally, to finish it all off I added a dash of cinnamon and a pinch of red chili flakes for a final warming touch.

I will say that because of the addition of bread, no added carbs are necessary, but if you are super hungry you can treat this soup like a sauce and serve it over pasta with a little fresh parm.  Enjoy!


Weird weather requires some Björk...