So my brother is leaving today for a week-long trip to Argentina.

(This is the point at which, if my parents were reading this, they would look at me in utter shock and amazement. I swear he told them at least twenty times that he was going. And each time he did. They reacted as if it were the first time they were hearing any of it. I had to actually sit them down at one point and explain to them that no matter how many times they tried to repress their memory of this event, it was still going to happen.

Just because you don’t remember something, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. It just means you’re going senile.

They didn’t like that very much. But their ability to recall this little nugget of information vastly improved immediately after I said it.

Oh, THAT trip. Of COURSE we remember. Sure you do.)

Why is he going? Funny you should ask.

But before I get to that. Let’s imagine Argentina. A beautiful South American country. In the middle of summer. Filled with beautiful South American women. Why would any 20-year-old boy not want to go?

That being said. It’s a homework assignment. Of sorts.

You heard me right. His school is requiring him to go. It’s tough being in business school. It really is.


So today while I am stuck in a room with fifty cadavers. Being tested on (A) whether or not that tiny non-descript white vessel with a pin in it is the iliohypogastric or ilioinguinal nerve (or neither. That’s always an option. Especially given my current mental state. Which is to say. Confused.) and (B) which one of those can be accidentally cut during an appendectomy because it lies on McBurney’s point, which is 1/3 of the way between the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) and the umbilicus. (God I am such a wealth of useless information. How do you stand me?)

He will be on his way to paradise.

Dead bodies v. school-sponsored vacation.

Well. That’s a no-brainer.

NYU’s Stern School of Business: 1, Weill Cornell Medical College: 0
This has nothing to do with these recipes. At all. I just felt like venting. Glad I got that out of my system.

So this week’s Symon Sundays assignment was to make the shaved fennel salad and the tomato soup. I have to say. I didn’t love the salad. Apparently. I don’t like raw fennel. Which I felt really bad about. Until I saw an episode of the Barefoot Contessa in which Ina Garten said she didn’t like raw fennel either. And if Ina doesn’t like it, it’s totally acceptable if I don’t. The woman is a culinary goddess after all.

But if you do like raw fennel then go for it. Because everything else about it. Was incredibly tasty.

Shaved Fennel Salad with Oranges, Lemon, Dill and Cress
Serves 4, adapted from Live To Cook

Ingredients
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot thinly sliced, soaked cold water for 10 minutes, and drained
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 orange, zested and juiced
2 small or 1 large bulb fennel, core removed and shaved
1 tablespoon chopped fennel fronds
2 tablespoons freshly chopped dill
3 oranges segmented
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon toasted and coarsely ground coriander seed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ounce watercress (I used arugula)

Directions
In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, shallot, salt, lemon zest and juice, and the orange zest and juice. Fold in the shaved fennel, fennel fronds and dill. Toss to coat. Add the orange segments, a few grindings of black pepper, coriander, olive oil and watercress. Toss gently and plate ingredients, spoon additional dressing over each portion.
And then we have this soup. Now. It’s a commonly known fact that I’m not really a soup person.

But this wasn’t soup. This was heaven. In a bowl.

I ate it hot. And I ate it cold. Sometimes both. In one day. Yeah it was that good.

It tasted almost like a pink pasta sauce with a blue cheese/sriracha twang to it. And with that being said. I would consider pouring it over pasta. If I weren’t pretty sure that I would just end up sipping it from the pot with a straw.

Spicy Tomato and Blue Cheese Soup

Serves 4 so long as no one grabs the pot and drinks it straight…not that I know anyone like that, adapted from Live To Cook

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 28-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes, with their juice
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup heavy cream (I used almond milk)
2 tablespoons sriracha sauce
1 tablespoon fresh oregano (I used dill)
1/2 cup Roth Käse Buttermilk Blue Cheese

Directions
1. Heat the olive oil in a 4-quart pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and a three-fingered pinch of salt and sweat the onions for 2 minutes.

2. Add the garlic and continue to sweat for 2 more minutes. Add the tomatoes, their juice, and the stock and bring to a simmer. Add the cream, sriracha sauce, and oregano and simmer for 45 minutes.

3. Pour the tomato soup into a blender, add the blue cheese, and blend until smooth, working in batches if needed. Strain the soup through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean pot, taste, adjust the seasoning if necessary, and reheat to serve.

4. The tomato soup will keep, covered in the refrigerator, for a few days.

Check out Ashlee’s blog on Monday for the Symon Sundays round up!

I am submitting this soup to both Souper Sundays over at Kahakai Kitchen and the Side Dish Showdown at Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice!
Remember to send in your submisisons to Regional Recipes: Irelandby the 31st and BSI: Carrots by Sunday (I am going to post the round-up Sunday morning due to scheduling issues, but you can send in your entries until Sunday night at midnight and I will add them as they come). Email: [email protected]

Thanks to everyone who has submitted already!

You are reading this post on Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of Eats Well With Others. All rights reserved by Joanne Bruno.
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66 Responses to Spicy Tomato and Blue Cheese Soup and Shaved Fennel Salad with Oranges, Lemon, Dill, and Arugula – Symon Sundays

  1. Debbi Smith says:

    The soup looks great, I love tomato soup.

    Nice on the field trip/vacation for your brother. Must be rough. 🙂

  2. So funny about your parents! I can totally see my parents doing the same thing! Have a good day and sorry you are not going with your brother-what an adventure for him.

  3. Hai Joanne,, you got lovely blog with healthy recipes.Impressed on ur blog.

  4. Lucky brother of yours Joanne. between am also going home tomorrow 🙂 so am very HAppy.

    lovely soup, love tomato soup. how did you achieve that colour…amazing

  5. Amy says:

    My mother never remembers anything I tell her – I can even send her an e-mail and she’ll write back asking the same question I just answered. And my Dad? Well, he just repeats the same stories over and over. I can’t tell whether all of this is old age, A.D.D, or boredom.

    Not a fan of fennel, but maybe this would work with baby spinach, which I love. And soup…meh. Depends. “…I would just end up sipping it from the pot with a straw.” HA!

  6. Daisy Blue says:

    First time here Joanne..nice write up about your brother..felt like reading a girly novel..& thats a compliment btw 🙂
    Loved your recipe as well with the fantastice picture..following you 🙂

  7. The Soup looks delicious! Adding blue cheese is a cool idea:)

  8. Ben says:

    That’s not fair. I wanna go to Argentina, too! I guess I’ll have to stay here in the cold and eat some soup. It looks very intriguing, but that’s the kind of food I like, hehe.

  9. Kim says:

    Your brother is a lucky guy. Sounds like a nice break from the norm. I can see how you could be a little jealous;D I would be too, especially when you start to consider all the delicious food that can be found in Argentina.

    I think this soup sound awesome with the blue cheese and I’m also the wierdo that actually likes raw fennel so I know I would love the salad.

    I’m really loving the Michael Symon days.

  10. Everything sounds and looks amazing!!

  11. I’m afraid you’ve picked the wrong career! The daughter of good friends is in the Kellogg business school at Northwestern and I can’t tell you the crazy cool places she’s already been – on assignment…uh-huh, right.

    I would love that soup and salad combo!!! Fennel-lover also and tomato soup with blue cheese sounds fantastic.

  12. Michelle says:

    Argentina would be nice, especially school sponsored. I’ll go just about anywhere if it’s paid by someone else!

    But does your brother eat like you do? Is he sweet and inspiring like you? Is he cute like you?

    Believe me Business School is boring..been there, done that!

  13. Muneeba says:

    Sucks for you, but MAN is your brother lucky! Your parents’ reaction kinda reminds me of my own folks .. when they were in denial for the longest time about my brother having a girlfriend (yeah, they’re a wee bit conservative that way). Salad looks beeeeeeeeeauuutiful btw. And we should all worship at the culinary altar of Ina 😉

  14. Pam says:

    I had already bookmarked these from another blog, but I’m bookmarking them again. Because they both sound amazing (and I love raw fennel).

  15. wow it looks great, delicious soup with the healthy salad…

  16. Laurie says:

    Fennel and citrus salad is one of my favorites.. this sounds yummy with the arugula added!

  17. I love raw fennel especially when it is combined with citrus. Will try this recipe!

  18. Mari says:

    Your brother is so lucky! my cousin went there and loved it.

    That soup looks so delish!

    Oh and yup I think I would love that lasagna that you mentioned on my blog!

  19. Joanna says:

    I too, use Ina as my measuring stick for acceptable kitchen and eating behavior 🙂 And I hate raw fennel.

  20. The soup sounds fantastic with blue cheese and the salad is just lovely!

  21. Well this is super ///loads of delicioussness right on one page…..delicious days are here …for u and ur bro too:-))))))
    cheers and fantastic weekend to u….

  22. Chris says:

    That blue cheese and sriracha in tomato soup made my tongue jump around in my mouth like a dog searching for a leg. What a great recipe. Bookmarked for later.

    Your comment about the cadavers made me think about our local body farm. Ick.

  23. Ann says:

    Blue cheese soup with sriracha – whoa nelly, now is that pushing the envelope or what??I’m glad you were honest about the salad, I’m not too keen on raw fennel either, though I am tickled to hear Ina doesn’t like them either. Ina for Queen!
    What on earth are field trips coming to? Our friends’ kids eighth grade class went to COSTA RICA! I didn’t even go to Costco when I was that age.
    Jeebus. I have an Argentina post coming up soon, it is such an amazing place, not like you need that rubbed in any further…

  24. Andreas says:

    That tomato soup sounds worth trying.
    I haven’t had fennel, raw or cooked, so I can’t tell if I’d like the salad.

  25. I could relate with your parents Joanne! im always in denial especially for my unico hijo hahaha.
    never had fennel… wow Joanne you are enriching my culinary journey! since i started blogging my grocery list have new items for me to find! love it! thanks again.. mwah!

  26. Best regards to your brother!! And another two delicious recipes for you.

  27. msmeanie says:

    Hmm…I guess I’ve never tried raw fennel, but I have a feeling it might be too strong for my taste. The soup sounds delish though!

  28. Both the soup and salad looks like a match made in heaven.

    Hey, Looks like you are J of your brother.Your chance will come..sometime, i guess. I am typing my post for BSI: carrots.

  29. Danielle says:

    LMAO!! I feel bad too when I don’t like something about a recipe. Like it’s my fault that it “failed” my tastebuds or something.
    sooo…maybe us parents “forget” in order to keep our sanity cuz the kids drive us nuts?

  30. Ohhh, what is it with our brothers and their insane habit of being able to travel all manner of lovely places while we stay here? Hmmm?? On the bright side, that soup looks ridiculously good. And I can’t wait to try it. 🙂

  31. I can forgive you for not liking raw fennel easier than I can forgive Ina for not liking cilantro.
    We loved the soup too – what a great idea re the pasta sauce!

  32. I don’t have a cool job with great business trips either. I would be totally jealous as well.

    That soup looks amazing. I love the pairing of blue cheese and tomato. So delicious.

  33. Faith says:

    I’m so jealous! I wish my job would require me to travel to paradise. 😉 I hope your brother has a fun trip!

    The food looks incredible — the salad bright, light, and refreshing…the perfect accompaniment to the flavorful, warming soup!

  34. oh I don’t like fennel either but it sure looks great and wow love the soup, REbecca

  35. Mimi says:

    Um… you are a wealth of useless information so that when you are my doctor I will survive my golden years?

    Can you pass me a straw so that I can have some soup now? :0)

  36. Martha says:

    I’ll skip the salad and take the soup too please. Tell your brother to get a blog so we can hear all about the trip!
    I have my Irish recipe picked out and even have everything I need to make it – now if I can just find the time ::sigh::
    Have a great weekend Joanne 🙂

  37. I am utterly amazed that you are cooking while in medical school. I think that siracha sauce is such a versatile condiment.

  38. Jessie says:

    Haha, oh well. I get a little jealous of my husband sometimes because he’s in law school and has very little work to do, all while getting major props for going to a top school and getting lots of offers, while I’m working my butt off and I get NO RESPECK! Your spicy tomato soup looks cheesily delicious, by the way.

  39. Bob says:

    Heh, yeah it sounds like your brother got the better option. I know I’d rather be in Argentina than in a room full of corpses.

    I don’t think I have an opinion on raw fennel. I’ll have to try it and find out what I think.

  40. I have never had the opportunity to try raw fennel but I am thinking it may be worth a try, although the caramelization that occurs when it cooks curbs the anise flavour. But what I do know is that I love tomato soup and blue cheese.

  41. Karine says:

    I hope your brother will have a great trip! 🙂

    Oh a fennel salad. I am sold! I can’t resist to buy fennel anymore. It just looks too cute 🙂

  42. Pam says:

    Wow! Both recipes are making my mouth water.

  43. Shirley says:

    Love the way you’ve combined these ingredients! Well done!

  44. sra says:

    The problem with sponsored trips is that they are too short, but it’s better than not going anywhere. I myself have been on a couple of such trips and enjoyed them as fully as I could. One was a three-day trip and the other a four-day trip, but with travel, amounted to about five days and a week. I kept hoping the planes would be delayed so I could soak up some more travel!

    We don’t get fennel bulb here.

  45. sra says:

    And oh, sometimes my mum insists she’s imparted some piece of news to me even though she hasn’t, and gets pretty irritated when I tell her that.

  46. PJ says:

    i love raw fennel.. and this salad and soup both look so delicious! you never know, your brother gets to go to Argentina, may be next year, you would get to go to Paris or something through med-school.. then it won’t be too bad 😀

  47. Mary says:

    I don’t for one moment blame you for being bent out of shape. Though I must say I hope he has a good time. I loved all the recipes today but the shaved fennel salad really caught my eye. It looks and sounds delicious. It’s easily an 8 on my yum meter.

  48. Karen says:

    I’m not crazy about fennel. The tomato soup, on the other hand, sounds lovely. This would be great with home-grown tomatoes!

  49. aquadaze says:

    sriracha with blue cheese and tomatoes? I am in! Looks utterly delicious, that soup.
    And though I didn’t like raw fennel, the salad looks very inviying!

  50. The fact that you love this soup is serious. It must be really good! And I love the salad – it’s full of deliciousness. How lucky is your brother? For business school? I need to sign up!

  51. Kathleen says:

    Oh man! Tomato and blue cheese soup-what a fabulous combo. Can’t wait to try this.

  52. That tomato soup sounds like a dream. What can I use instead of blue cheese? I have not seen kosher blue cheese although I am sure there is some.

    If you have a moment, Monday, would you link this to Meatless Mondays on Sweet and Savory?

  53. I had the same thoughts as I’m scrambling to finish recipes for three events this weekend! “It seemed like a good idea at the time” rings clear to me.

    You are a good sport and your humor always shines though 🙂 What a wonderful cake for your instructor and student council. Which reminds me, I could use a cake for my husband’s birthday in a couple of weeks…

  54. Debinhawaii says:

    Both the soup and the salad look delicious–of course I am a raw fennel lover. 😉 Thanks for sending the soup along to Souoer Sundays!

  55. Debinhawaii says:

    or rather Souper Sundays. 😉

  56. Katy ~ says:

    Yummm..that soup looks good! Love tomato soup and variations!

    Now that salad…would love to try it. I’ve never had raw fennel but I think I’m game!

  57. MrsJenB says:

    That soup…oh goodness. I love tomato soup as it is, but you add blue cheese in there and I’m in heaven. Heaven, I say!

  58. Very wonderful roundup. I like in spareingly, I don’t think I would like it raw, but i have been want to roast some, I’ve heard it was very good. The tomato soup really caught my eye.

  59. Thanks for remembering and linking up with Meatless Mondays at S and S. Now, it is there, right in front of me, a good share of the time. Yum.

  60. Mamatkamal says:

    Beautiful roundup! I love this halwa and the soup, great choice.
    Cheers

  61. oilandgarlic says:

    Will your brother take a lot of food pictures while in Argentina, or is he more ‘normal’ than us food bloggers?

    I’ve been to Buenos Aires..Fantastic city. And I want to go back just for their steaks.

  62. Meena says:

    Lovely event and round-up…I can definitely say I have never seen such a lovely array of carroty dishes in one place…awesome!!!first time on your space…will be back soon!!

  63. Not that I ever really considered med school, but learning about the cadavers definitely put that idea to rest completely for me hehe. But the rest sounds terrifyingly familiar from my college bio lab. That said, I’d prefer those to chemistry lab any day. This salad and soup looks yummy. I don’t think I’ve ever tried fennel at all. Thanks for the addition to my to-try list!

  64. shanthi says:

    Looks great and a wonderful click. Do visit my blog when time permits.http://shanthisthaligai.blogspot.com/

  65. SnoWhite says:

    what a tasty soup — thanks for sharing it on the countdown! I can see why it’s a favorite 🙂

  66. Hi Joanne,

    I’m making this soup right now and it smells so good!! I can’t wait for dinner!!

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