Soupruary 1st: Spicy Tomato and Blue Cheese

I'm often disappointed by foods bearing the moniker "spicy," as I feel they're usually writing a check that their Scoville rating can't cash. This spicy soup, though--it put its money where my mouth is.


Location:
My Apartment, Cincinnati, Ohio

Attendees:
Spicy Julipeño
Jeff Pretzelrod
Mixed Januts
Joshuwaffle Fries
Cool Ranch Corritos

Menu:
Spicy tomato and blue cheese soup (or Julie's renaming: "Tomato Situation")
Adventure salad (also Julie's doing, although it was initially "Buffalo Julie's Cool Adventure Salad")
Parmesan-crusted grilled cheese sandwiches
Liquid dessert provided by Janice in the form of a South African delight: Amarula (ask Jeff if you need a Wikipedia-fueled botanical lesson on the Marula tree)


Entertainment:
Yahtzee (Waffle conquered, but Julie had the most...special...rolling techniques)
The Adventures of Pete & Pete


The Soup:

The reason I'm starting here is twofold:
1) I started with a tomato soup last year, and it was delicious; and,
2) I'm currently reading Michael Ruhlman's The Soul of a Chef, and just finished the section on Michael Symon (I'm now in the section on Thomas Keller, but not quite brave enough to try any of his recipes yet). I'm really impressed with Symon's passion, gusto, and tempting menus. Why not try one of his soups?


Additionally, as noted above, it does indeed pack the heat. Janice (motto: "It's never too spicy") was ready for more, but Julie (motto: "I order Thai food at zero") was put off by the fire in her gullet.


Smooth and complex (especially for the low number of ingredients), each bite had several layers of flavor.

My first thought upon waking today was "Man, I wish I had leftovers." This soup claims to serve 4 to 6, but I wouldn't try for more than 4 if you don't want to wake up sad. I'd eat it again (right now, on my lunch break, if only I could).

Adapted from Michael Symon's Live To Cook by Michael Symon

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium finely chopped red onion
Kosher salt
4 sliced garlic cloves
1 28-oz can San Marzano tomatoes with their juice (since tomato is the base flavor here, I'd say don't skimp and go for the real San Marzano. It's a serious quality upgrade.)
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
3/4 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons sriracha sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano (I would've used 1 tablespoon fresh, but Findlay market failed me in the oregano department)
1/2 cup blue cheese (Symon prescribes Roth Käse Buttermilk Blue, but I couldn't find that so I bought an English Stilton)

Turn your heat on medium, and heat the oil in your soup pot. When it's shimmering, add the onion and a healthy pinch of kosher salt (attempting not to spill salt all over your counter top, as I managed to do this time) and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for another two minutes.

Add your tomatoes with juice and vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Add cream, sriracha (or, affectionately, "The Rooster"), and oregano--simmer for 45 minutes.

Remove from heat, add blue cheese, and blend with an immersion blender (or a regular blender, in batches) until smooth. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the soup into a new pot.

Eat!