I’m biased, but I love this recipe. I love any creamy tomato soup, really. I love it so much that when my husband and I threw ourselves two engagement parties (one for the mormon half of the family, and one for the non-mormon half that got so out of hand that we started our house on fire – but I’m getting distracted), the only thing I served at both was creamy tomato soup with morbier toasts.

This particular recipe features ricotta spinach cheese balls and cardamom spiced tomato soup. It hits all my soup highs: creamy, but with chunky bites. Cheese, of course. Something unexpected (cardamom and nutmeg). It’s a flavor explosion that tastes so homey and bright that it almost makes winter something to look forward to.

Creamy Tomato Soup Ingredients:

For the Cheese Balls:

• 1 pound spinach leaves
• 2 cups ricotta
• 6 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• grape seed oil

For the Soup:

• 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 bunch green onions
• 1 zucchini
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp red pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• parsley
• salt and pepper
• grape seed oil

Steps:

Wash the spinach and toss into a large bowl with a bit of water in it. Microwave for a minute or until the spinach is dark and wilted. Dry the spinach in a towel and then chop.

Combine the ingredients for the cheese balls (minus the oil) and form small rounds. Fry in grape seed oil until lightly brown. Set aside and keep warm.

Slice zucchini in half and then slice into 1/4-inch pieces. Finely chop the garlic. Chop the green onions, separating the green ends from the white tips.

Heat up a few tablespoons of grape seed oil in a clean pan and cook the garlic for a minute or so. Add red pepper flakes, the white parts of the green onions, and the zucchini. Cook until tender. Add tomatoes and water and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Add cream and bring up to a simmer. Add cardamom and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Top with parsley and green onion bits. Plop in a few cheese balls into each bowl and dig in.