Vegetable Pizza Soup
Approximate cooking time: 25 minutes
Makes 6 servings
I was making a basic vegetable soup one day when I discovered I'd forgotten to buy any tomatoes. The broth was already simmering, so I scoured my pantry in search of a forgotten can. I found some diced tomatoes with green chiles, something I use occasionally for Mexican food, and figured it couldn't hurt in my soup. Lo and behold, it not only worked, but it made the soup taste faintly like pizza. Over the next month or two, I played with the recipe, adding Italian spices, dried red pepper flakes, olive oil, and a generous supply of garlic, and finally created a spicy, pizzalicious spin on your ordinary, everyday vegetable soup. You can even add parmesan cheese and diced pepperoni to put it right over the top. One quick note about the frozen mirepoix: it's pretty hard to find, but worth it. Not only does it save you time, but the freezing process ensures that the veggies will already be a little soft, which is a bonus for any soup you want to make in a hurry. If you can't find it, go ahead and dice your own onion and celery (you can probably omit the extra carrot, since there's some in the mixed vegetables), but make sure you cook them a little longer.
What you'll need:
1-1/2 cups frozen mirepoix
1-1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 10-oz can of diced tomatoes with green chiles
1/2 cup dried ditalini pasta
32 ounces beef stock
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic (6 cloves)
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Crusty bread (optional)
Grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Diced turkey pepperoni (optional)
Salt & black pepper (to taste) |
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and pepper flakes. Stir for 30 seconds, then add mirepoix (about half the bag) along with a pinch of salt. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add tomatoes, stock, mixed vegetables (again about half the bag), herbs, and black pepper. Raise heat to high, stir, and bring to a boil.
Once the soup is boiling, add the ditalini, stir, and cover. Simmer over medium-low heat for 12 minutes, stirring once or twice, until pasta is tender. Salt to taste.
-e. magill 9/3/2013
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