Spicy Tomato and Blue Cheese Soup with Spinach and Bacon

It is almost Friday and once again I can't wait for the weekend!  Friday night we are going to see my older brother's comedy show at Curious Comedy Theater which should be pretty entertaining.  My parents are also attending so it will be nice to see them.  Then Saturday night one of my best friends and her boyfriend are coming over and we are going to all make delicious Grilled Steak Tacos with Cilantro Chimichurri Sauce, Pico de Gallo, and Pickled Onions.  And of course a delicious and fresh avocado slaw to go on the side, it will be a true feast!  While I love going out of town I also love staying in town, it is nice to get out of the city but it is also nice to be at home and get things around the house done and sleep in forever.  It has been super beautiful and sunny in Portland the last several days and I wish it would last through the weekend but of course the rain comes in tomorrow just in time for the weekend.  Tonight I am going over to my good friend's house and she is trying the trial of Blue Apron right now which is a very interesting concept to me.  If you haven't heard of it, it is a company that sends you healthy sustainable food with recipes and all the ingredients to make a meal for 4 each night.  Tonight we are making ramen so I am excited to see how tasty and easy it really is.  Onto my food, last night I adapted this recipe to make this amazing soup you see.  I really enjoyed it but if you are not use to creamy things it might be a little rich for you.

Serves 2-4

The Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
 Kosher salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 28-ounce can of tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 cups chicken stock broth
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons store-bought or homemade Sriracha sauce
1 teaspoon oregano leaves
1/2 cup crumbled creamy blue cheese
4 cups spinach
5 pieces of bacon, cooked and chopped


The Process
1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and a generous pinch of salt and stir to coat the onion with oil. Cover and cook the onions for 2 minutes.

2. Add the garlic, cover the pot, and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the tomatoes along with their juice and the broth and bring to a simmer. Add the cream, Sriracha sauce, and oregano and simmer gently for 45 minutes.

3. Let the soup cool for 10 minutes. While soup is cooling cook spinach.  Add a little olive oil to a pan over medium-high heat and add spinach until it wilts, about a minute.

4.  When soup is done cooling add the blue cheese and blend until smooth in a blender, working in batches if needed (or with a hand blender).

5.  Serve soup in bowls and serve with bacon and spinach on top.