Italian Sundried Tomato Soup
Hearty and delicious, this Italian sun-dried tomato soup is bursting with classic Italian flavor. Make it ahead for easy entertaining!
Servings: 8
Calories: 238kcal
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces bulk Italian sausage
- 1 large onion roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons pesto
- 5-6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 12 ounces carrots roughly chopped* about 3 fairly large carrots
- ¼ cup well-drained sun-dried tomatoes in oil tightly packed
- 1 14 ½- ounce can fire-roasted canned tomatoes puréed
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup heavy cream
For the pine nuts:
- ½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- For garnish:
- fresh basil leaves
Instructions
For the soup:
- Heat oil in a medium-large pot over medium heat until hot. Swirl to coat bottom of the pot with oil. Add sausage and cook for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Break sausage into small crumbles with a metal spatula as it cooks.
- Remove sausage to paper towel lined plate or bowl. Set aside. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pot. (If your sausage is very lean and doesn't yield much fat, add enough olive oil to equal 1 tablespoon.)
- Add the onion. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until translucent. Add pesto and Italian seasoning. Stir well and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add 5 cups of the broth, carrots, sun-dried tomatoes, fire-roasted tomatoes, salt and pepper to the pot with the onions. Stir with a metal spoon or spatula, scraping up the brown bits (fond) on the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until carrots are very tender.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly then puree with an immersion blender (or regular blender) until smooth. (If using a regular blender, cover the opening at the top of the blender lid with a small, narrow-opening funnel, a folded kitchen towel or several thicknesses of paper toweling to prevent a pressure build up.)
- Return soup to the pot if using a regular blender. Add cream and reserved Italian sausage. Stir well to combine. Taste and add a bit more salt and freshly ground black pepper if needed. Serve warm or allow to cool and store in refrigerator. Soup can also be frozen.
For the pine nuts:
- While soup is cooking combine ½ teaspoon olive oil, pine nuts and ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt in a small sauté pan. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until pine nuts begin to brown just slightly, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Notes
See Café Tips above for further instruction and detailed tips.
Nutrition
Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 843mg | Potassium: 550mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 7410IU | Vitamin C: 12.7mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 1.9mg