Today’s recipe is the result of several requests and perhaps some wishful thinking that fall isn’t to far away.
Originally, this recipe started as my aunt’s Tomato Basil Soup and immediately became a family staple for years. Then while going through physical rehab in 2011, they served Roasted Red Pepper Soup. Yes, our local hospital still has a chef who makes restaurant quality meals. The administrations opinion is patients need to eat healthy meals in order to heal quickly and go home. My personal opinion is with such great meals, who wants to go home?
Over time I’ve altered the original recipe by adding roasted red peppers, grated zucchini and fresh spinach to combine two amazing soups into one. The result won’t disappoint!
Don’t be afraid to get creative in the kitchen. Perhaps your spouse doesn’t think it’s a meal without meat? Resolve that with the addition of cooked Italian sausage, thinly sliced. Should you have any leftover soup, it freezes well and makes a flavorful pasta sauce.
Oh my, how about a busy weekday supper of Chicken Parmesan using cooked chicken fingers, bit of sauce (thick flavorful soup) and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. With the addition of sheet pan roasted broccoli and potatoes or a salad, you’ll have a wonderful meal.
For busy moms, I’d go as far as cooking extra chicken fingers for tomorrow night’s supper. Chicken Caesar Salad Wraps were always a favorite with my kids, and the perfect meal when racing to extra curricular activities.
This soup freezes well because it’s thickened with vegetables instead of a milk-flour roux. By using a hand blender, veggies are mulched so kids will never know they existed … big win for mommas! If you’ve got a picky eater, let them dip garlic toast ‘fingers’, mozzarella sticks or grilled cheese into the soup.
NOTE: as with all soups, add cooked pasta to individual bowls just before serving, otherwise it will absorb all the liquid. When making soup, I store pasta in a big bowl in refrigerator so readily available when needed.
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup onions diced
- 1/2 cup celery diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 zucchini shredded
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1 28 oz can puréed tomatoes
- 5 pieces roasted red peppers (jar) cut into quarters
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- pepper to taste
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 cubes extra large bouillon chicken cubes
- Parmesan, mozzarella, gouda, or feta optional: shredded
- 3 cups fresh spinach cut in 1/4 inch ribbons using scissors
- Sauté first 5 ingredients until onions are soft.
- Add next 8 ingredients. Cover & simmer for about 20 min. At this point I like to blend using blender or hand blender wand. The result is a creamy texture without using a flour roux.
- Combine the 4 cups rich flavorful chicken stock to the other ingredients (I use chicken stock and add a couple bouillon cubes for a stronger taste).
- Remove lid until soup comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for an 30 additional minutes.
- Add fresh spinach and stir.
NOTE: I always 4 times recipe because it's so good. Often we serve with garlic toast or add cooked bow tie pasta to the serving bowls just before covering in hot soup. Our family loves with a sprinkling of cheese on top. Parmesan, mozzarella, Gouda are great but my favorite is feta.
Enjoy,
