curry cream soup

is there anything better than a hot belly-warming soup on a cold winter night?

methinks not.

i love sitting around the dinner table with a fresh loaf of bread and a steaming hot pot of soup, everyone chatting and slurping and cozy. it’s winter time and family time at their finest, all rolled up together.
this recipe comes by way of my 30-minute meals cookbook (not a rachel ray book, just a generic “30 minute meals”) but as i cooked it the other night i realized that i wasn’t doing anything the recipe actually called for.

now, this is not unheard of--i follow recipes the same way i follow patterns. which is to say, not at all.
but when i realized i was basically using the printed recipe as a memory aid—where it said “shallots” i thought “1/2 an onion,” when i read “coconut milk” i grab evaporated milk from the pantry—well, i figured it was high time to just write up my own recipe.



this soup has just enough spice to it to warm you nicely. my kids eat it no problem, even the 3 year old. but you can always omit the jalapeno pepper if you want.

lately i’ve been using the mini ravioli from trader joe’s.



but it’s also good with cheese tortellini, which is actually how i normally make it.

because this is more of a wintertime meal, i don’t usually have fresh basil. so i generally keep some of this on hand:

 












each cube = 1 tsp of basil. i get this at trader joe’s too.

this soup comes together so quickly it’s a great go-to dinner for hectic nights. the flavors make it seem like it took much longer to whip up!


MINI RAVIOLI CURRY CREAM SOUP

ingredients 1 large onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp minced garlic (or 2 cloves, finely chopped)
4 tsp curry powder
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large container vegetable or chicken broth (or 2 cans)
2 cans evaporated milk
1 pkg. mini ravioli (or 2 packs of tortellini)
2 tbsp fresh or frozen basil
2 cans diced tomatoes, drained (or 2 medium tomatoes, chopped)

in a large saucepan cook onion, jalapeno pepper, garlic and curry powder in hot oil about 1 minute or until onion is tender.
stir in broth. bring to a boil, then add pasta.
**boil for half the recommended time for the type of pasta you are using.



stir in the evaporated milk, basil and tomato.



cook and stir about 5 minutes more or until pasta is tender but still firm.




serve with a crusty loaf of fresh bread, a glass of wine, and maybe a side salad if you need fiber.





bon appetit!

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