Yeh. I know. It is, like, a zillion degrees out, and muggy (at least around about these parts) and, here I am talkin’ about soup!
The thing is…
this home made, and very good, soup comes together in next to no time, and uses the slow cooker, so there’s no hot and steamy kitchen, and, not too much bother with stirring and minding the pot.
There’s also a surprise ingredient!
I came across the base for this recipe in an old slow cooker book by Carol Hedding Munson I came across in my book stacks, and, to be honest, I was suspicious about it.
It looked too simple and basic to be all that good – but then – I knew I was gonna add some stuff and play around with it.
And man, am I glad I did. This is one rockin’ tomato soup, and could not have been simpler to toss together!
INGREDIENTS
•28 oz diced tomatoes
•32 oz chicken stock
•1-1/2 cup diced green pepper
•1/2 cup sliced scallion – white and light green bits only
•Diced onion and tomato – about one cup
•Kernels of one roasted ear of corn
•1 tbsp white wine vinegar
•1 tbsp Sherry Peppers Sauce – or your favorite hot sauce, to taste
•1/2 tsp dried oregano
•2 tsp frozen basil (or fresh, chopped)
•1/8 tsp Seasoned Salt
•1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
•1 lb tricolor cheese tortellini
Surprise Ingredient: two tablespoons crushed pineapple packed in juice. Yep! I read about this being added to pasta sauce in a novel and thought I’d try it here. Worked a treat!
Note: aside from the green pepper and scallion, I added veggies I had leftover from other meals – diced onion and tomatoes from cuban style tacos, the corn from a leftover grilled ear, stuff like that. Feel free to add whatever you have on hand.
Stir the tomatoes, chicken stock, veggies, vinegar, Sherry Peppers Sauce, oregano, basil, seasoned salt, and crushed red pepper together in a medium slow cooker.
Cook on high for four hours, or on low for six hours.
Give it a taste. Nice, right? But; I thought it could use a bit of sumpin’ sumpin’ sweet to brighten things up.
Enter the crushed pineapple.
Stir this into the soup along with the frozen tortellini – no – you don’t have to thaw it.
Cover the pot, and cook for another 75 minutes, until the tortellini are tender.
Serve with shredded Parmesan or Asiago cheese. Garlic bread’d be good, too.
Plenty of rich, tasty soup for six bowls.