Spanish Tomato Soup with Roasted Chickpeas

Between the roasted red pepper, smoked paprika, almonds, and parsley, this recipe puts a major Spanish spin on classic tomato soup. After eating it I basically felt like taking a quick spin around the Prado and then catching a bullfight (and you probably know how I feel about bullfights). And this soup is not only very Spanish but also gooood. Like, lick-your-bowl-clean good. And so pretty (see below)! If I don't make this regularly throughout the upcoming cold weather months, I will be surprised.

Spanish Tomato Soup with Roasted Chickpeas
Adapted from Cooking Light

• Red bell pepper, halved lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped, divided
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 28-oz can no-salt-added whole peeled tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (more to taste)
• Salt and pepper
• 15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

Preheat broiler. Discard seeds and membranes from bell pepper; place, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil 8 minutes or until blackened. Seal in a bag and let stand 10 minutes. Peel. Reduce oven to 450 F.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 3 garlic cloves; cook 1 minute. Add canned tomatoes (crush them with your hands before adding) and cream; bring to a simmer. Add paprika, a big pinch of salt, and a few grinds of the peppermill. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Blend with an immersion blender, or blend in batches in a regular blender. (If using a regular blender, it's safer to let the soup cool for 5-10 minutes first.)

Meanwhile, while soup is simmering, combine 5 garlic cloves and chickpeas in a roasting pan. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon oil, cumin, and a pinch of salt. Toss to combine. Roast at 450 F for 12 minutes, stirring once. Ladle soup into bowls and top evenly with chickpea mixture, parsley, and almonds.

Paella with Soy Chorizo and Edamame

Dude, have you guys been to Trader Joe's lately? I used to go when I lived in Cambridge, but since I moved down to DC in late 2009 I hadn't bothered to figure out where the closest one was -- until this past weekend. Holy crap, I forgot how much I loved that place. Things I came home with include, but are not limited to:

1. Two kiwis
2. A package of pre-trimmed leeks
3. A bag of individually packaged 1-ounce goat cheese rounds
4. Four bottles of wine costing $5 or less (including one blanc de blancs, ooh la la!)
5. Peanut butter stuffed pretzel bites
6. Arugula and parmigiano-reggiano ravioli
7. Cherry-berry frozen fruit blend (for smoothies)
8. Frozen verde chicken burritos (for Joe, obvs)
9. Bully sticks (for the dog, obvs)

But one of the coolest things I found was actually a package of soy chorizo! And I knew that I had a recipe at home that called for it -- a paella recipe from this month's Cooking Light (which, by the way, contains more great veg recipes than the past 6 issues combined). Turns out that soy chorizo is super awesome. It has all the flavor of real chorizo but with half the calories and fat. Try it!

Paella with Soy Chorizo and Edamame
From Cooking Light

• 6 ounces meatless soy chorizo (such as Soyrizo or Trader Joe's brand)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup Valencia or other medium-grain white rice
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame, thawed
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add soy chorizo to pan, and cook for 12 minutes or until browned, crumbling and stirring occasionally. Place in a small bowl and set aside.

Return pan to medium heat. Add olive oil, swirling to coat. Add yellow onion; cover and cook for 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add saffron and garlic; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add rice and bell pepper; cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in white wine, and cook for 2 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring frequently. Add vegetable broth and salt; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

Return soy chorizo to pan, and stir in edamame. Cook for 5 minutes or until edamame is thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and scallions.