Cherry Tomato and Ravioli Soup

 I have three gardening pots in my backyard. In one of them, I've planted my herbs (cilantro, basil, and Italian parsley). I thought I had planted a little packet of wildflowers in the next.... turns out they're giant sunflowers that have now grown past the height of my shoulders. Yikes. In the final pot, I planted a wee little cherry tomato plant.

That tomato plant has gone nuts, and has decided to produce ridiculous amounts of cherry tomatoes in the past week. Sure, we use them in salads, and Ryan eats them like grapes. But we still have a ton left over. What to do?

 

Throw 'em in a soup (yes, in the middle of 100+ degree weather). Not a soup fan in the summer? Pin it for later, man. We like soup year-round in this house!  

This recipe calls for 2 pints of tomatoes, and we had about one pint from the "garden". So I had to buy another pint from the store to compensate.

So now that I've stuffed this blog with Rachael Ray recipes over the past 2 weeks, I think we'll give her a break. For a solid 3 years, I had a wonderful subscription to her magazine, and loved every minute. However, the magazines started taking up room in our tiny apartment, and I had to find a solution. I ended up going through each magazine, one by one, page by page, and ripped out the recipes I wanted to make someday. I neatly kept the recipes in plastic-page protectors, and lined them up in a binder. The magazines went in the trash, and I still have that binder today full of Rachael recipes. Her 30-minute meals redefined dinnertime in our home. It's so easy to have a completely tasty meal in such a short amount of time.
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The thing I loved most about this soup is the cheese ravioli - fun for all, I must say. We used three cheese ravioli, but I could easily see Italian sausage or any other flavor used just as well.

The broth is heavenly. While preparing the broth, you simmer the cherry tomatoes in garlic and olive oil for about 10 minutes with the lip on tight. After that, they burst open and form a beautiful sauce! How easy is that?

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Cherry Tomato and Cheese Ravioli Soup

2 T EVOO
2 pints cherry tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
1 quart chicken stock
1 lb fresh cheese ravioli
1 C basil leaves, torn
2 scallions, white ends removed, chopped
Parmesan cheese for sprinkling

In a large, deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid or a Dutch oven, heat the EVOO over medium heat. Stir in the cherry tomatoes and garlic, season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the tomatoes burst and a thick sauce forms, 7-8 minutes.

Add the chicken stock and 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the ravioli and cook untl tender, 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and wilt in the basil. Stir in the scallions.

Serve the soup with grated Parmesan and crusty bread for dunking.

Recipe from Rachael Ray Magazine, October 2009 Issue

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