Quick Scrap Tomato Soup

Like most Type A, control freak, borderline OCD Moms, I try to meal plan. I say try because about 50% of the time I don’t do it and the other 50% of the time I do it and then don’t follow the plan. I know, I’m working on it okay? So, let's say most of the time I find myself in a pinch, not sure what to make for dinner or how I’m going to slip a day’s worth of veggies into the kids without them knowing. Sound familiar? Let me help, I’ve got a good one for you.

My sorry excuse for meal planning.Thursday will figure itself out I suppose.

One failed meal planning evening, in scouring my food supply, I came across a can of Crushed Tomatoes that was previously destined to be made into THE BEST restaurant style salsa, and some leftover roasted veggies from a meal earlier in the week. On a wing and a prayer, I started in on what I shall affectionately call Quick Scrap Tomato Soup.

My second born Adam is a fairly picky eater. And by picky I mean he’s going to figure out how to eat the chicken off the end of the spoon and leave the broccoli behind. He’s a sneaky thang. Every time he is amenable to meals prepared with veggies, I am internally jumping for joy while externally trying to maintain my poker face so that he doesn’t realize he’s doing something that pleases me and immediately reject it. I know you know what I'm talking about Mama. Point being, Picky Adam eats this soup. And the very best part is that it’s so versatile you can put in any veggies you like, or ones you don’t like but know you need to eat, because you don’t really taste them. They get pureed down and covered up with Italian seasoning, Parmesan, and milk, so pack them in lady!

I’m all about quick dinners and if done right, this one can be quick, I promise. And it’s especially good made in a big batch. It freezes well and it’s so packed full of veggies that your kids will never notice, I promise.

The last thing I’ll say about this is, I like my recipes to be simple, versatile, and accessible. I don’t like constantly putting my password into my phone or tablet to re-read the exact amount of seasoning I need.  So, this recipe will give you the basics of what you need and then you can make it your own. If you don’t have enough broth, add water. If you don’t have zucchini, leave it out. If you'd rather quickly steam all the veggies in your Instant Pot, more power to you! There is no reason to stress out about the exact ingredients or how long something should cook. It’s soup! By nature, it’s a bunch of random stuff thrown together, heated, and eaten.  Use what you have on hand to get this dinner on the table quick and without stress.

Legit what my kitchen looks when I am trying to make dinner. And yea, that's an uneaten taquito from lunch, don't judge me sis!

Ingredients:

For the veggies

Vegetables of choice- I used mushrooms, zucchini & cauliflower. Leafy greens & carrots are great add-ins.

Oil - This can be Extra Virgin, Coconut, Avocado oil. Whatever you prefer based on your dietary choices.

Dried herbs- options include: 

Herbs de Provence

Dried onion, garlic, & paprika

Mrs. Dash Salt Free Original Blend

Italian Seasoning

For the Soup:

1 Can Crushed Red Tomatoes with Basil

Italian Seasoning

Milk of choice- this can be anything from heavy cream to coconut milk. Make this your own depending on your dietary choices or what you have in the fridge or leave it out altogether, it'll just be more tomato-y.

32 oz Broth or Stock- Again, use what you have. Vegetable broth or chicken stock are both fine. And if you don’t have 32 oz, add some water to get you there.

Salt & Pepper to Taste

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Steps:

Roast The Vegetables*

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2. Clean and roughly chop your vegetables, keeping softer ones like mushrooms & zucchini separate from firmer ones like cauliflower.

3. Add veggies to a separate bowls and drizzle with oil.

4. Season with dried herbs. I’ve learned over time that measurements for dried herbs are more or less to your taste but if you’re worried about it you need at least a tablespoon.

5. Toss your veggies around. I prefer to do this in the bowl rather than on the baking sheet as the veggies get coated better.

6. Toss onto baking sheets and cook. Soft veggies will need about 5-10 minutes. Firmer veggies closer to 20-25. Just poke with a fork when you think they’re done. If they’re on the soft side, they can come out. They'll cook a little longer in the soup so they don't have to be perfectly done.

*Note on veggies: This is a GREAT thing to make at the beginning of the week. I make the same veggies and puree them into tomato sauce for the boys’ spaghetti or serve as a side dish for my hubs and me. If you make a lot of veggies at the beginning of the week it's much quicker to add them into dishes throughout the week and doesn't take much extra time to make a big batch in the first place.

Assemble soup

1. Add cooked veggies and all ingredients except milk to a large pot. Cook on medium heat until the soup starts to bubble and get thick.

2. Puree with an immersion blender or a regular blender. I highly recommend having an immersion blender around with kids and babies as it makes pureeing easy and clean up even easier.

3.  Once everything is pureed together, add milk until it gets to a color that looks yummy. I know, this is very technical, but I don’t want anyone stressing if they don’t have exactly 2/3 of a cup of milk.

4. Add salt & pepper to taste and top with optional Parmesan cheese.

This is great served with Grilled Cheese or with whole wheat pasta added to it.

Ultimately, I hope this shows you how easy cooking can be. You don’t have to have Master Chef skills or the exact ingredients to make a wholesome and delicious meal for your family. So get cooking Mama!