Saturday, February 9, 2013

Italian Tomato Soup (Zuppa di Pomodoro) in a Crock Pot


I guess I am a collector of Tomato Soups.  I never really considered it before, but in checking my ongoing list of "52 Soup Recipes", this is my 5th and I have at least one more planned.  Each is different  creamy, spicy, blue cheese kick, vegetable bisque... And now an authentic Italian recipe using the Soffritto as the flavoring, fresh Italian herbs and even a mixture in texture with the late minute addition of chopped Sun Dried Tomatoes.

Of course one of the reasons I became an accidental collector, Tomato Soup is Great!

Bright colorful, filled with flavors and delicious.  and of course this does not disappoint.  The long simmer in the crock pot brings out the sweetness of the tomatoes and the carrot.  The savory Italian seasonings add a pizza sauce flavor and the texture of the extra layer of Sun Dried Tomatoes sets this apart from the rest!

And just wanted to take a second and show off a terrific sandwich that paired with the soup... Soup and Sandwich, just rolls off the tongue, but I digress...

BACON BACON BACON and a Cheddar cheese sauced grilled cheese for a great dip-able sandwich!  A great soup needs a great sandwich!


Here's what I did...


Crock Pot Rich Italian Tomato Soup 
(Zuppa di Pomodoro)


Ingredients
  • 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
  • 1 Medium Red onion, Chopped
  • 2 Stalks Celery, Chopped
  • 1 Large Carrot, Chopped
  • 4 Cloves Garlic
  • 1/4 Cup Flat Leaf Parsley, Chopped
  • A couple of Pinches Salt and Pepper
  • 1 LARGE (28 OZ) Can Peeled Tomatoes in water (of course you can make this with whole fresh tomatoes, but that's a different recipe)
  • 1 tsp Fresh Oregano
  • 6 Large Basil Leaves, cut into ribbons
  • 1 Small Can Tomato Paste
  • 4 OZ Sun Dried Tomatoes, packed in Oil, Minced
Cooking Directions
  1. Break out your large crock pot, set on low.
  2. Add the tomatoes and start them simmering
  3. Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat the Olive Oil over medium heat. Add the Onions, Celery and Carrots, Saute for about 5 minutes, until the onions begin to soften and change color
  4. Add the Garlic and Parsley and saute for another couple of minutes. This is making a fresh Soffritto, if you had some in the fridge, use 1 cup.
  5. Add the Soffritto to the crock pot, stir to combine, add salt and pepper and close the lid for 4 hours, allowing everything to simmer.
  6. Break out the hand blender (or in stages, use a stand blender or food processor, Puree until smooth.
  7. Add the Oregano, Basil, tomato paste and the sun dried tomatoes, stir to combine. Return to HIGH in the crock pot, lid on for one hour
  8. Optional... Puree one more time to remove the chunks from the sun dried tomatoes. If you like a variety of textures, only stir the soup, leaving a bit of chunk in the soup.
  9. Serve HOT and ENJOY

It's a winner!

Love the extra thick texture, the addition of the pizza spices and of course all the rich taste of tomatoes.

Heart warming indeed.

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So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Recipes for Soup, Chili or Chowder" (Now more than 52 and still growing)

Soup from Scratch is one of the great kitchen joys.  The house smells amazing and the soup warms to the bone.  From broth to chowder, vegetarian to loaded up chili... Even a great idea for a party (love the Potato Soup Bar idea).  Come take a look, sure to have something you might like to try.  All recipes have been tested and WORK!

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So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Authentic Italian Recipes"!!!

Well over 52 recipes actually as I just can't stop. The world's most popular cuisine, authentic, natural, organic, Farm to Table... the Italians started, perfected or embraced it before it became a fad. This page is a guide to Italian Cooking... For the home cook!  So, Cin Cin (toast) and Buon Appetito (Enjoy your Meal) to you all and let's Cook authentic Italian!

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1 comment:

  1. This is definitely my kind of tomato soup - many are mostly chicken broth - and what can I say about a sandwich that is grilled bacon and cheese. We canned some tomato sauce last summer with many of the same ingredients you used and discovered that with a little milk, made a delicious cream of tomato soup. We'll have to give your recipe a try.

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