Tomato-Basil Soup with Ricotta Dumplings

If you've been following my blog, then you know that some of the foods I love the most are cheese (any type), potatoes (in any form), dip (dip for chips, not in the form of tobacco... as if I actually need to specify that?), and garlic... the tomato is another favorite food of mine. I love tomatoes! My grandfather and I used to each get a tomato, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and just sit there and eat it like an apple. Love it!

The tomato flavor in this soup was just fantastic! It was like a tomato punch to your taste buds. And the basil blended in with the tomatoes was absolutely delicious. I've been passing over this recipe for months now - I'm so happy I finally decided to make it for our weekly vegetarian dinner tonight! The dumplings were also quite tasty. I was worried they would be too cheesy (my husband isn't a big fan of super cheesy), but that wasn't the case at all. The dumplings had a really great flavor to them without being overpowering.

A few notes from the cookbook: 1) Soup should be gently simmering when dumplings are added. Do not boil soup or the tender dumplings may break apart. Serve soup soon after cooking dumplings to maintain their texture, and 2) For the most tender dumplings, carefully measure flour by lightly spooning into cup and leveling off with a knife. Do not over-mix the batter once the flour has been added.

A very tasty meal! Each serving only has 250 calories, but it is very filling and warms you right up on a cold night! Enjoy!

Tomato-Basil Soup with Ricotta Dumplings
Pampered Chef Quick Vegetarian Main Dishes
Published by The Pampered Chef, Ltd. in 2010.

Total time: 30 minutes  Yield: 2 servings

Soup
1 tsp Basil Oil or olive oil
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup snipped fresh basil leaves

Dumplings
1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
2 tbsp grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

1. For soup, combine oil and garlic in (3-qt.) Saucepan; cook and stir over medium heat 1-2 minutes or just until garlic begins to turn light golden brown. Immediately add tomatoes, broth and basil. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, for dumplings, combine ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg white, salt and black pepper in Small Batter Bowl; mix well. Add flour; stir just until combined. Using Small Scoop, scoop dumpling mixture directly into simmering soup. Cook until dumplings float to the surface, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Ladle soup into bowls; sprinkle with thinly sliced fresh basil.