Thanks to Pacific Foods for making this post possible.
We are an active family and, far too often, a hearty, soul-satisfying dinner just goes by the wayside. If we aren’t actively engaged in something, we are exhausted from being actively engaged in something! Still, our kids need to eat and I’m happy to have found that the Organic Creamy Tomato Basil Soup from Pacific Foods gives me great options to feed my picky kids. Not only is it easy and convenient to serve the tomato soup as is, but I can make an amazing (and super easy) pan pizza by using that same soup instead of tomato sauce!
We’ve got three young kids who are involved in scouting, sports, band, and many other activities. My wife and I both work (often with me working evenings) and we both volunteer in our community, for our church, and for professional organizations. I’m a football coach and Beth is a Girl Scout troop leader. The action around here just doesn’t stop! With the weather turning colder, I can always count on a bowl of tomato soup for an easy dinner. Unfortunately, my oldest and my youngest just don’t like tomato soup. They do, however, LOVE pizza!
Since I don’t like having too many open containers in my fridge. I thought I’d try using some of the soup that I was heating up for dinner as the sauce in a pizza. It worked just beautifully! Here’s what I do…
I pull a ball of pizza dough out of the fridge (here’s my recipe) and spread it out into a cast-iron pan that I’ve prepped with plenty of olive oil. You could use a pie plate or cake pan, but I really love using the cast-iron for recipes like this. It just gives that crust a little something extra!
I let that sit for about 30 minutes so that the dough can rise a little more. Then I spread it out further, even up the sides of the pan a little, being careful not to tear it. Start this as soon as you get home from work and use that extra 30 minutes to get changed, check homework, get toppings ready, etc. Just get your head straight from a long day!
Now I add my toppings. With a pan pizza, it often works better to layer your toppings first and then add sauce over the top. So I press the cheese into the bottom, pushing into the corners to make sure that I have a great crust. Then I top with pepperoni and more cheese!
So, this is the part where people wonder how my mind operates. I pour about 1/2 cup of Organic Creamy Tomato Basil Soup from Pacific Foods right over top of the cheese and pepperoni. It seems a little crazy to pour soup over your pizza, but the tangy sweetness of organic tomatoes coupled with the bright, savory notes of basil makes it an amazing replacement for pizza sauce. Plus, it’s vegan and gluten-free, so I feel like I can definitely trust my kids with it! Just don’t pour too much or you’ll wind up with something more like a pizza bread bowl. Not bad, but not a pizza!
Sprinkle on a handful of Parmesan cheese and bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes, let rest for another 5 and your family is in for a treat!
Just look at that stretchy cheese!
Serve alongside that same tomato soup and you can even use that beautiful crust to sop it up!
For an even easier weeknight meal, try this! Split English muffins across the middle, top each with about 2 teaspoons of tomato soup and a little cheese. Bake at 350 for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is good and melty. Serve with soup and enjoy!
Are you a busy parent or anyone else just looking for convenient, ready-made soups? Pacific’s wide variety of organic soups are inspired by traditional recipes and Pacific Foods is dedicated to sourcing simple ingredients cultivated through sustainable practices. It’s food that you can just feel good about! Make sure that you head over to Pacific’s Instagram page for a chance to win a 12-pack of Pacific’s delicious new fall soups, including Organic Creamy Tomato Basil Soup, Roasted Garlic & Potato, Organic Vegetable Masala Stew, and Hearty Coconut Curry Soup.
Do you do something with tomato soup besides just eating as is? What’s your favorite way to transform it into something more? Leave a comment and share your story!
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