Hearty Tomato Soup and Rueben Sandwiches

So what do you do when St. Patrick's Day is come and gone and you have 2 or 3 pounds of corned beef leftover? Sandwiches! I love sandwiches. I think I always have, but I definitely think that my mom owning a deli when I was growing up helped. She still to this day makes the best sandwiches I've had. You could have all of the same ingredients but there is something that she does that makes them better. Anyway, one of my favorite sandwiches is the Rueben. Maybe it's the German in me. The swiss cheese. The sauerkraut. Yum! As I was planning my meals for this week I thought we've got to have a great soup to go with this sandwiches. Something comforting... Like tomato soup. You can never go wrong with tomato soup. I found this recipe by Giada De Laurentiis. Both my husband and I agree that this is the best tomato soup we've ever had. Like the name says, it's very hearty and also healthy. It's full of veggies and cannelini beans that all get pureed into a wonderful thick and creamy texture. Best of all it's topped of with a lemon and rosemary creme fraiche. Delicious! (It does have a kick to it. Next time I'll halve the amount of red pepper flakes to make it more family-and-nursing-baby-friendly.)



Recipe (4 servings - we also had leftovers)

2 T butter
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 15-oz can cannellini (white) beans, drained and rinsed
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
3 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1 sprig of rosemary, plus 1 teaspoon, minced
3/4 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
2/3 cup creme fraiche (you can also use sour cream)
Zest of one lemon

In a large pot, melt butter over med-high heat. Add onions, carrots, and garlic and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, bay leaf, red pepper flakes and 1 t rosemary. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Puree soup by either using an immersion blender or doing it in batches in a regular blender. Season with salt and pepper. Add remaining rosemary and lemon zest to creme fraiche and serve on top of soup.

Rueben Recipe

corned beef
swiss cheese
sauerkraut, warmed
light or dark rye bread
russian dressing (you can make your own with a mixture of mayo/sour cream, ketchup, and relish)

You can do this two ways.

1. In microwave, heat corned beef and swiss till meat is warmed through and cheese is melted. Place on a slice bread and top with sauerkraut, dressing and other slice of bread.

2. Grilled: Assemble sandwich with bread, corned beef, swiss, sauerkraut, and dressing. Butter on both sides and grill as you would a grilled cheese.

You can also do this with pastrami instead of corned beef.  It's known as a Rachael.