Almost Homemade Ravioli Soup

I don't claim to have much culinary genius, but I do enjoy making a meal that tastes good yet costs little. Sometimes my creations turn out good, sometimes not so good. Tonight I think I came up with a good one.

It was soup night (mostly because 50% of my family is sick) and I wanted a soup that was quick and tasty. I took a poll of the kids and Italian soup won. I had a recipe for a tortellini soup, but decided to adapt it to what I had on hand. Here is my final creation. It had a lovely, thick tomato base and a homemade touch thanks to the sauteed veggies.

Yummy soup, full of good tomato sauce and ravioli. 

Almost Homemade Ravioli Soup

2 T. butter
1/2 c. onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 T. crushed garlic
2 carrots, grated
1 can tomato sauce
2 c. water
1 can red kidney beans
1 can Chef Boyardee Beef Ravioli
Oregano, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, to taste

Melt butter in skillet. Saute onion, celery, garlic and carrot until softened. Meanwhile, combine tomato sauce, water and kidney beans in a saucepan. Heat to boiling. Add vegetables and mix well. Reduce to a simmer; add can of ravioli with the sauce. Season to taste. Cook until pasta is heated through. Serves 4-6.

Notes: I love the aromatic smell of sauteed onion and celery, and I think taking the time to cook them and add them to the soup gives it the homemade flavor that's well worth the effort. However, if you didn't want to take the time to do this, you could add dried chopped onion and some frozen mixed veggies to the tomato/water mix instead.

I added the kidney beans to boost the protein in the soup and still keep it an almost-meatless main dish. It's a healthy and inexpensive way to "beef up" the soup!

Approximate cost: $2.75 (one can ravioli, $.88 on sale, one can kidney beans, $.88, one can tomato sauce, $.25, onion and other veggies and spices, approx. $.75.)

I served the soup with cheese sandwiches: wheat bread slices, cheddar cheese, grilled under the oven broiler for 2 minutes or less. My kids love them and they are so easy. Growing up, our family would eat cheese sandwiches almost every Sunday night for a quick dinner after our big Sunday after-church feast.

Another way to round-out the meal is to make homemade biscuits. Cut the biscuits extra-thick and serve hot with butter--nothing could be more delicious and still inexpensive!

A batch of homemade biscuits takes about 20 minutes to mix and bake. 

If you try out this recipe, leave a comment and let me know how your family likes it!