Trisha’s Tomato Pesto Soup

by Carla Tuhacek

When my friend Trisha told me she was serving this for lunch, I didn’t have the heart to tell her I don’t like tomato soup. But, when I ate Trisha’s version I liked it so much I made it for my family that week! This is great served with crusty Italian garlic bread.

In a sauce pan add:
Equal amounts of Crushed Tomatoes (she used the Italian seasoned type) and chicken broth. Add garlic, salt, pepper, oregano to taste. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add day-old bread cut into cubes (I use about 4 slices for one 28 oz. can of tomatoes). Simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir with a whisk. Bread will break up into crumbs making the soup thicker.

Here’s the kicker:
Serve with olive oil, parmesan cheese and refrigerated pesto (you’ll find it with the refrigerated pasta) to be stirred into soup in desired amounts just before eating.

One time we added clams to this soup and it added a nice chewy texture. I think sausage or ground beef would also be tasty.