What to do with leftover tomato sauce? Make a soup!

Fall has arrived this week in Chicago and I am stoked about it! Fall is my FAVORITE season. The clothes, the food, decorating for Halloween, it all gets me very excited. Of course, Chicago autumns do not last for very long so I try to maximize all I can get from this oh so romantic season. I had so much leftover tomato sauce from my weekend tomato adventure that I knew I had to make a hearty fall soup to kick off the season. 

My recipes are never exact and I tend to just use what I have in the fridge and make it up as I go. Chop three or four carrots roughly for that "rustic hearty" look, thinly slice a zucchini, mince about a tablespoon of thyme, peel and smash three or four garlic cloves, and chop half an onion. You'll need a can of cannellini beans, rinsed, about a cup of small pasta of your choice, a few ladles of the tomato sauce, and a carton of the lowest sodium chicken broth you can find. If you have a leftover Parmesan rind (once they're used keep the rind in the freezer for this very use) use that and a handful of Parmesan for seasoning. I also like heat so I add red pepper flakes. If you don't have the fresh tomato sauce, no worries, either use bottled sauce or canned tomatoes.

Soften the onion in a drizzle of olive oil over medium low heat.

Toss in the carrots and and saute.

Toss in the garlic, thyme,  and red pepper flakes and saute until fragrant. Sauteing herbs and spices helps the flavors to bloom. Drizzle some balsamic vinegar to scrape up the fond at the bottom of the pan.

Add the carton of chicken broth, tomato sauce, Parmesan rind, and bring to a simmer. 

Add the zucchini, the beans, and the pasta and simmer until pasta is cooked. Once soup is finished remove the Parmesan rind and the garlic cloves, add a handful of grated Parmesan and salt to taste. Drizzle some balsamic vinegar over the soup to brighten the flavors. I find that adding an acid at the end of the cooking process brightens up and deepens to flavors in a way that nothing else can.

 The flavors of this soup actually get better each day but the pasta will end up soaking up some of the broth, so when you reheat it for leftovers be sure to add a little water to your bowl. This will not affect the flavors at all. The best side for this dish is Parmesan crostini: sliced French bread drizzled with olive oil, garlic, and Parmesan and baked at 450 until toasted. This soup is sure to warm your soul and melt away your stresses.