Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup with Pesto Tortelloni

I was craving something simple to make for dinner and since it was a really cold and rainy day, I decided soup would be perfect. I had all the ingredients on hand for my roasted tomato and basil soup but decided to make it a bit heartier by adding pesto tortelloni. It was simple and delicious with very little clean up. I served this soup with my House Salad and freshly baked crusty bread. It was a big hit with my entire family. This recipe only makes a small batch of soup (perfect for two adults and two small children), double the recipe if you need to feed a larger crowd.

Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup with Pesto Tortelloni:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic:

• 1 28 oz can of whole tomatoes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, sliced into thin slivers

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Strain tomatoes from juice, reserving juice for later. Spray cooking spray over a tinfoil lined baking sheet. Add tomatoes, drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the top along with the dried basil and the salt and pepper to taste. Slide the garlic slivers into the tomatoes, they will roast and soften inside as well as infuse the tomatoes with their flavor. Place in oven and roast for approximately 30 minutes. Don't over roast or they will be dry.

Soup:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 1 1/2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, diced or minced
• 2 cups of vegetable broth or chicken broth (I use homemade chicken broth)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp white sugar
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2-3 tbsp fresh chopped basil
• 1/2 cup of non fat milk

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a dutch oven or large soup pan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook until tender. Add garlic and stir for 30-45 seconds before adding chicken (or vegetable broth), reserved tomato juice (from canned tomatoes), bay leaf, sugar, balsamic vinegar and roasted tomatoes. Cook over medium low heat for 2-3 hours.

In a separate bowl add milk. Slowly spoon a little bit of soup mixture into milk to warm (don't pour cold milk into the soup because it will curdle). Once the bowl of milk is warm add it to the soup along with the fresh basil. Remove the bay leaf and use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. Pour mixture through a strainer.

Other Ingredients:

• Pesto tortelloni
• Asiago cheese, grated
• Fresh basil, chopped

Return soup to the stove top over medium heat, add pesto tortelloni and cook for 7-10 minutes or until pasta is tender and cooked through. Ladle into soup bowls and top with asiago cheese and freshly chopped basil. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net