Let me pour you a bowl, you deserve it. Some bread too? Grilled or toasted of course.
A week ago, it was 60 degrees outside and we had lunch on the porch. Woke up two days ago to 6 degrees and a blustery snow circling everything. Vermont weather, unpredictable and ever changing, but in general one knows that it will be cold in January, with a pause now and then to air out the house. Dish up soup, make some tea, let others do the errands, and settle in for some catch up time on tasks.
Clean out the cobwebs
I love the feeling of cleaning up after the holidays as I commented this week at my friend Nancy’s blog The Elephant’s Trunk. It got me to thinking about my January rituals. Out with the tree and all its needles and bits of dog fur. Out with the remnants of opened packages, bits of bow and glitter. Return the special dishes to their cupboards. Reclaim the mantle, and tuck away at least some of those candles and lights. We keep lights strung around the fireplace all year long, so those will stay, and I like to keep the greeting cards up for a time before I sort them into ones to save (family and friends) and ones to recycle. The prettiest card this year was from a business (always recycle), and the backside of the beautiful front of the card was blank, so I carefully sliced the card in half and will use the front as a postcard next year, assuming I remember.
Those sparkling clean windows in January
It’s a perfect time for a good cleaning. I always admired my mom’s cleaning efforts after the holidays which included washing the windows. I told her once that I thought it was great she did such a thorough job cleaning up at this time, especially doing the windows in winter. When she stopped laughing, she explained that the reason she did the windows in January was to remove all the ‘Glass Wax’ that she had applied when decorating. When it was removed, you had sparkling clean windows, but it definitely had to be removed or you ended up with Christmas trees on them all winter.
I don’t think they make it any longer, but Glass Wax marketed Christmas stencils at the holidays – Christmas trees, Santa, sleighs, candles, etc. – and one dabbed the Glass Wax on and it dried to a lovely white image. Mom also dabbed the windows to look like they had snow accumulated in the corners. I know I’m dating myself, but I bet a lot of you remember this ritual. During January cleanup, the windows were beautiful!
I don’t do this, but it’s a nice memory.
Let’s bake some bread and makes some soup
What I do in January is a lot of cooking and catching up. This is when I enjoy baking bread the most, and of course soups and stews are always on the week’s menu somewhere.
A pot of tomato soup
What’s better than a bowl of tomato soup, especially if it is homemade? It really doesn’t take a lot of time to make it from scratch, and the flavor is so much better than the old standby canned varieties, even the fancy ones. Plus, the house smells inviting and warm, comfort food, here we come. Serve it up hot, savor it, let it warm you inside and out, and in this pause only good thoughts will float through your mind. It’s hard to be sad while sipping tomato soup.
Add a twist, but not too many
I love tomato soup straight up, but I also enjoy it with other ingredients tossed in. Tomato rice is a good way to use up some leftover rice from another meal, or other grains such as barley or farro. Some wilted spinach or other greens are delicious in a tomato soup, as is some grated cheddar cheese or chopped-up artichokes. However, I don’t like to add too many things at once or it becomes a tomato-based soup or stew rather than tomato soup plus.
Making do in winter
This time around, I had a massive head of fennel that I need to use, so in it went, along with some crushed fennel seeds to enhance that flavor. It was still definitely and predominantly tomato soup, but with a lovely little extra. I let this simmer a little longer than need be, but I wasn’t going anywhere and it only improved the flavor. If it had been summer, I’d of used fresh tomatoes and roasted them first, my favorite way to make it. But this time of year, fresh tomatoes are dismal at best, and the canned tomatoes are a fine substitute.
Makes a lot, one cook but multiple meals
This makes 12 cups, and a serving is two cups for a main course, one if it is a starter. We had enough for dinner, lunch yesterday, and a nice container in the freezer for yet another day.
Tomato and Fennel Soup
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups diced onions
- 1 large fennel bulb, about 2 cups diced
- 1 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- ½ tsp. or more crushed red pepper flakes
- 170 g. (6-oz) tomato paste
- 794 g. (28-oz) canned whole peeled tomatoes
- 680 g. (24 oz.) strained crushed tomatoes or tomato juice
- 6 cups water
- Parmesan rind if you have it
- Splash of red wine, if you have it, or 2 tbsp. wine vinegar
- Fresh basil
Prep your veggies, then heat a large soup pot over medium high heat and add the olive oil, onions, and fennel. Season with salt and pepper and let these vegetables sweat, but not take on color. Make a little space in the middle of the bottom of the pot and add the fennel seeds, garlic, basil, and crushed pepper. Stir around in the center for a minute or so for the spices to bloom, then add the tomato paste and let that bloom as well for a couple of minutes.
Add the whole tomatoes (I break them up a little), and strained tomatoes, then the water, using some of it to salvage any tomato bits from all the cans before adding to the pot. Pop in the rind if you have it along with more salt and pepper, the wine or vinegar.
Bring this all to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let it do its thing, covered with the lid just slightly ajar, for an hour or more. Use an immersion blender to purée to where you want it (remove the rind before doing so), pop the rind back in, break up a few fresh basil leaves, taste, correct seasoning, and add a bit more water if need be. Depending on your tomatoes, after you taste you might need to add a teaspoon of sugar to balance any bitterness. Put it back on the lowest heat and continue to cook to let develop flavor very gently until it is where you want it. Sometimes I just put this in a 250-degree oven.
When ready, give it a last taste, then add about a quarter cup of fresh basil leaves, torn or chiffonade. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, or a drizzle also of some cream or non-dairy cream substitute if you like.
Of course, there’s a law that says somewhere on the table there needs to be a toasted or grilled cheese offering of some sort, but plain grilled bread is also delicious.
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I have yet to get my head around Fennel and find it in the veggie stores.
It’s one of my favorite vegetables. Is it the licorice-like flavor you don’t care for?
I should like the licorice flavour – having a Danish heritage. I am not super keen on that flavour in cooking – licorice feels like it belongs in a lollie! Haha. It is more that I rarely see fennel available for sale here, and I suspect that is because its flavour is something that is in common use only in gourmet restaurants.
Warm tomato soup. Perfect for a January day. 🫕🍃🍅
Respectably when the winter winds blow!
Oh, what I wouldn’t give today for a steaming bowl of your soup! My January ritual of post-holiday “feeling lousy” is in effect, and this is exactly what the doctor should order! Mmm 😋
It will cure the blues in record time!
The soup looks and sounds like a work of art. And stencils! That took me back.
Here’s to another year of fun in the kitchen!
Thanks Amie! Yes, another year of playtime in the kitchen for sure!
Fennel in tomato soup? Why have I never thought of this when it’s such a lovely pairing? Brilliant share, D! Your platings always look like edible artwork; simply gorgeous. I clearly remember Glass Wax as well as Jubilee! I bet you an get both on Amazon or Ebay. Thanks for the nod, my dear friend.
I forgot about Jubilee! It was part of our Saturday morning domestics, and I usually ended up with the dusting and polishing.
You will LOVE fennel in tomato soup, guaranteed!
Every Friday at the end of the week, our 1st grade teacher Mrs. Fisk would pour a dollop of Jubilee on each desk. Blowing on the dollop made it spread out across the desk, kind of like a white Rorschach test. Then with paper towels we’d clean our desktops, not stopping until they gleamed. We loved Fridays in 1st grade!
What fun! And a great memory N.
It’s in my mind let it was yesterday, D!
Funny, isn’t it!!!
Glass wax is a new one on me I’m sure the windows looked very pretty…I love soup and like many flavours although vegetable flavours and in particula tomato is my absolute favourite yours looks and sounds delicious as always , Dorothy 🙂 x
Thank you Carol!
I remember how much fun it was to do the Glass Wax stencils, we kids looked forward to it every year. And I think my mom was glad for the clean windows afterwards!
For me there is nothing like a clean window…I also love Christmas Stencils x
I know! It always feels so good in the spring when it’s window cleaning day!
Absolutely, Dorothy x
First off! I remember the white snow in the corners of the windows. My Mom did it a few times. Oh my gosh! Sweet Memories!
I love tomato soup, so I know I would love this one! Oh, and add some of your fresh bread on the side!
Thank you always for taking me down memory lane, my friend!
Thanks Nancy! Kitchens and memories, the best ever for me!
I love tomato soup and this one with fennel sounds so good, thanks Dorothy!
Jenna
Thanks Jenna! tomato soup is universally loved in my family, and I’m glad of that!
Yes!! A giant bowl, please. ❤️❄️❤️
You got it! Toasted cheese on the side?
Soups are definitely the ultimate comfort foods! The mix of tomatoes and fennel is so wonderful. 🙂
I knew you’d like this one Ronit! Thanks so much!
I think fennel is an under used and under appreciated vegetable. Your tomato soup sounds wonderful.
Thank you so much Karen! I agree about the fennel, it is versatile and so delicious.
Fennel is an interesting ingredient – this looks so good!
Thank you!
Fennel is easy to find or grow here, but a lot of folks did not grow up on it so it could be more widely used than it is.
Tim!
Well, another pretty and delicious sounding food. To my knowledge, I have never eaten fennel, but I despise licorice so pretty sure that part would not be appealing to me. Tomato soup with cheese toast is always good though!
Thank you!
If you leave out the seeds, the fennel is a nice subtle flavor that doesn’t scream licorice.
Soups are a great wintery meal. Your soup shares are very yummy looking and exotic. 😋💓
Thank you my friend!
A lovely recipe to try – thank you! And in my part of Australia fennel is definitely available during part of the year and I love the taste! Cheese toast on the side – but of course! Am glad you are just struggling with the cold, being horrified at the scene on the other side of your Continent . . .
The new is indeed horrifying. We have some folks in the area who have been on standby for evacuation for two days. Hard to watch.
Love the color of this hearty dish!
Thank you! It’s quite vibrant in appearance and flavor. Just what we need in winter!
Ah, tomato soup on a cold winter night – doesn’t get much better than that. Well, I guess I could add a few croutons. 🙂
Yes, that doesn’t hurt Judy!
Has it been as brutally cold there? It doesn’t seem to want to let up here, and north winds blowing everything around, it’s hard to tell if it is snowing again or not!
Yummy! I love tomatoes and fennel.
Then I’ll pour you a bowl of soup!
We woke up to snow this morning. Your tomato soup sounds wonderful on a day like this!
Oh my! Yes, some soup is in order!
Hi, Dorothy – My husband and I love tomato soup (it is our favourite soup). Thank you so much for this winter comfort recipe! <3
Thank you! It’s definitely a keeper, so warming and satisfying.
Living in the south its hard too imagine the January Winter-A definite time to get cozy, enjoy soups and stews, and good books.
I can relate 100% to the post Christmas need to get things in the house back to normal and reclaim the space.
Wishing you a Happy New Year.
Happy New Year to you too!
Books, music, pots of soup, and as much mingling socially as we can take, snow and wind aside!
mmm. . . the soup sounds wonderful. I’d forgotten all about Glass Wax. I loved the way windows looked back in the day with “snow” accumulated in the corners. Until you mentioned it, I never thought about the fact that it was no longer sold.
Haven’t seen it in years! It was a lot of fun to use and did a great job on the windows!
What can be better than soup and bread? Your swirl in the soup is beautiful. Dorothy, if your blog was a restaurant, I’d be there every day. Love to you.
Thank you Mary! You are so sweet!
Always a place at the table.
I loved your story about your mother cleaning the windows!
Thanks Julia! I remember just thinking my mom was being really thorough in her after Christmas cleanup!
Isn’t it funny the notions we get when we are kids or even young adults?
Your soup sounds lovely. I am planning on growing fennel in my garden along with dill. I love roasted fennel bulbs and thinly sliced fennel bulbs in salad. I was surprised at how much I enjoy fennel bulbs since I despise licorice candy.
The fennel flavor is more subtle than licorice, although I love both.
I grow fennel and enjoy the bulbs and also love to harvest my own seeds and fennel pollen, so much flavor there. Even just taking a little bite of the flower is a flavor explosion.
I hadn’t thought of harvesting the pollen. I don’t know why since I love fennel pollen. Thanks for the idea!
I never heard of glass wax Dorothy. Who doesn’t love a delicious tomato soup, yours looks so good!
Thank you my friend!!
I love tomato soup–this sounds really good with the fennel!
Thanks Nancy! It’s really delicious, with or without, it’s tomato soup!
Soup does that, Dorothy. It tastes better the next day – or so. It seems it has a guarantee of sorts to uphold. It would be letting down an awful lot of folk were it to fail. 😋🤗😉
That it would Carolyn!
This soup would warm my belly, and your nostalgia warmed my heart! The stenciled windows took me back to my own childhood, but for some reason I vaguely remember stencils and some kind of fake snow in a spray can.
Oh yes, there was the fake snow in a can, I remember mom sprayed it on our Christmas tree once and it gunked everything up!
Even if here are 30 degrees C, I would love some soup now! Mouthwatering 😋 I was always a fun of soups!
I make soups all year long! Doesn’t matter the weather.
I made this the other night, and it was a major hit. So delicious! It does make a lot so the next night I added rice and cannellini beans. This warms the heart and soul.
I’m so glad it was a hit. Love your second night creation Silvia! Sounds so good.