Quick, Simple and Easy Tomato Soup and the introduction of The Rumbles!

The other night I needed dinner on the table fast.  But...I hadn't taken anything out of the freezer and I had no desire to make the salmon patties (recipe coming soon) that were my back-up plan.  Basically I felt like crap and didn't wanna do nothing.  But I had to feed my family, right?   

An idea was born.

How many times have you needed to get dinner on the table FAST and had no idea what to make?  How many times have you ordered out pizza or grabbed fast food because you were tired, stressed, pressed for time and had hungry, crabby, pissy and otherwise obnoxious kids and spouses?  How much $$ have you spent doing this because honestly, you didn't know what else to do?

Introducing the Rumbles!  10 Minute, 20 Minute and 30 Minute Rumbles that are quick fix meals that are wholesome, healthy and delicious.  Part of the way this works is having a well stocked pantry so I will be doing a post on that coming up very soon, but my goal is to make these recipes something that ANYONE can cook.  Even my #1 Taste Tester...who as we all know can burn boiled water.  We have a "rule" in my family and that is that we eat dinner as a family.  Even last night my #2 taste tester said that it wasn't dinner until daddy got home. (He works late on M,W and F so we eat later than some families.)  My hope is that The Rumbles will help you spend more time sitting at the dinner table with your family and less time slaving over the stove to make it.

First up a simple and easy soup that you can dress up or down.  You can serve it with a salad and bread or yummy grilled cheese sandwiches...really anything!  But this is so simple you almost won't believe how tasty it is until you try it.  I honestly had no idea how big of a hit it was going to be until my family raved and asked for more.  Which I didn't have.  Next time I'll make a double batch for sure.  Enjoy!

Simple and Easy Tomato Soup (Ready to serve in under 10 minutes)

Ingredients
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce*
1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce*
3 cups chicken or veggie stock
2 tsp Italian Seasoning
salt and  pepper to taste
2 tsp cornstarch & 1/4 cup additional stock or water (optional)
dash of Tabasco sauce (also optional)

Directions
1.  Pour tomatoes, stock and Italian Seasoning into a medium size sauce pan and turn on heat to medium. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking.
2.  If using the cornstarch to thicken soup just a bit, mix cornstarch and stock or water.
3.  When soup is almost to a boil add cornstarch mixture.
4.  Stir well, return to boil and boil for about one minute.
5. Adjust seasonings to your liking (this is where you would add the Tabasco)


* Diced or stewed tomatoes will work as well but you have to blend the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender.  If using a stand blender I would recommend pureeing the tomatoes before adding them to the soup pot (when they are cold) rather then when the soup is heated.  An immersion blender would work better when the tomatoes are hot.