You read that title correctly. Just go with me on this one.
I love tomato soup. Like really love it. Always have, although my preference from age 2 to about 22 was Campbells. And now in my sophisticated mid-twenties I’ve moved up in the world to homemade. And by homemade I mean purchasing canned tomatoes in the middle of winter.
There is one major problem with tomato soup. It is not filling. Ever.
Sure the soup is usually just a vehicle for melted cheese on crispy bread, but it would be nice to actually think that I was eating more than just glorified hot tomato juice. And so one sleepy Sunday I had a stroke of genius to turn my standby pasta sauce recipe into soup.
Consider this my souped-up soup. Yes, grilled cheese is still a required accompaniment.
Bolognese Soup
by
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients (serves 6)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 large red pepper, diced
- 1 large zucchini, sliced into rounds and quartered
- 1/3 lb ground beef
- 1 28oz can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 8oz can tomato sauce
- 1 can cannellini beans
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/4 cup half and half (optional)
Instructions
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil, minced garlic, red pepper, and zucchini. Cook the vegetables for 10 minutes, until soft.
While the vegetables cook, add the fire-roasted tomatoes into a blender and pulse until smooth.
In a large soup pot, combine the pureed tomatoes, tomato sauce, cooked vegetables, 1 cup of water, and the cannellini beans. Cook over medium high heat.
Use the same pan the vegetables were cooked in to cook the ground beef until browned.
Add the ground beef to the soup along with all the spices and sugar. Mix well and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the remaining water and half and half. Cook for another 10 minutes.
Weird, random, bolognese sauce in soup form. Yes, this is totally the result of having little food in my fridge and the dire need for a real meal for the first time in a week. But it hit the spot and actually made me full. And did you know that tomato juice is a great recovery drink for athletes? So let’s call this my post yoga recovery soup instead.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve had some extra sauce (my Grandma’s recipe that has meatballs and sausage in it) in the freezer and I keep getting the temptation to add some broth and turn it into soup! I love the idea of adding beans too, didn’t think about that! (I think ground beef is missing from the ingredient list fyi)
I did! Thank you for catching that! (Serves me right for trying to get the recipe posted at 11pm.)
Mmmm that looks delish!
Yum! [Well, except for the ground beef.
] At the Forage dinner, when they served the thick, sauce-like soup I was SO in love with it, especially because I’m with you in the ‘thin tomato soup isn’t filling’ department. I always say, tomato soup is just really watered down sauce anyway.