Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup with Meatballs & Ravioli


Last week, James & I had two dinners out all by ourselves.
Our boys, well, they are working & have things going on.

Both evenings at dinner, James ordered soup instead of salad ...
and the 2nd dinner, I did too.
{We were at Bravo & my favorite thing there is their Lobster Bisque ... it's to die for.
Instantly takes me back to SC & their She Crab Soup.}

Anyway, James commented that we should have soup more often.
And pretty much, what James asks for food wise, he gets ... the boys too.
I do that because I can.
I can cook & I enjoy making him what he wants.
It's a win-win.
Such a small way that I can show him that I love him & want to make him happy.

So on Monday, I made up this soup for supper.

Now when I say 'made up', I really mean made up  -- as in came up with it on my own.
I knew I wanted to use meatballs & ravioli, in some sort of a tomato base.
I googled a few recipes to help me along & after a little from each one, I came up with my own.
It was really delicious & very hearty ... basically a pasta & meatball dish, only in a thicker soup version.
Served alongside was a salad with the lettuce clipped from Gunnar's garden & garlic toast.

Here's my recipe.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup with Meatballs & Ravioli

2  26 oz. jars of spaghetti/marinara sauce {I used Prego cause that's what I had ... any would work}
1  15 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1  12 oz jar of roasted red peppers, drained & diced
1 pound bag of frozen meatballs {I used turkey, but any would work}
16 oz of fresh ravioli {I got mine at Aldi}
2 cups of water
1 cup of milk
1 Tbsp. dried basil {use fresh if you have it - I just used what I had on hand}
1 Tbsp. pizza seasoning {can use Italian seasoning if you do not have pizza}
2 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. chicken soup base {bouillon}
1 Tbsp. sugar

In large kettle, simmer sauces, water, tomatoes, peppers, & all seasonings.
You can do this for 30 minutes or on low heat for 2 hours ... it's up to you.
I added in my frozen meatballs after my sauce had simmered for about 20 minutes ...
& I let that cook on low for a couple hours.
{If you needed to prepare this soup quicker, make sure your meatballs are thawed.}
About a half hour before serving, I added in the ravioli, keeping the heat on low.
And right before serving, I poured in the cup of milk to make the soup creamy.


As I've said before, I am not a precise cook.
I throw in a little of this & a little of that ... just whatever suits me.
Lots of times, I come up with a recipe based on what I have on hand ...
& that's exactly how this one came about.
So, feel free to tinker with it to come up with your own special twist.

Overall, a very yummy soup & one I will definitely make again.

Bon appetito~



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2 comments:

  1. Angela this looks like a very yummy soup. I like that you used turkey meatballs, so healthy! Thanks for joining us at TTF this week.

    hugs,
    Linda

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The turkey ones are just as great tasting as the original.

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