Vermicelli Soup with Tomato and Basil for Souper (Soup, Salad, & Sammie) Sundays

I wanted a quick and easy pantry soup this week, one that would be good for a stuffy nose from allergy junk. I had made the Vermicelli with Lemon and Butter from her Apples for Jam Cookbook several years ago (see that post here) and tagged the tomato version that preceded it in the book, Vermicelli Soup with Tomato and Basil, and had just about everything but the basil to put it together. I could have used dried basil but I had to grab some groceries yesterday and picked up some.

Tessa Kiros says, "This is a very simple, quick, and memorable when it's properly cooked. It really is my crisis-saver. If you use vegetable or chicken broth, your soup will have a stronger taste--but with just plain water like this, it is quick and beautiful and means you can present a meal in no time. Serve this immediately or the pasta just swells in the soup. If you're not feeling fantastic, or you  are feeling miserable with a bit of a cold, this is the thing to lift your spirits."

My changes are in red below. 

Vermicelli Soup with Tomato and Basil
Slightly Adapted from Apples For Jam by Tessa Kiros
(Serves 4 to 6)

7 cups water or broth (I used veggie "no-chicken" paste)
1 Tbsp canned tomato sauce (I used 1 14.5 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes)
4 basil leaves
1 1/2 tsp salt (optional)
1/4 of a 1 lb package vermicelli or angel hair pasta, broken up
olive oil to serve
grated Parmesan cheese to serve (I used Romano)

Put the water, tomato sauce, and basil leaves in a pan and add the salt (this may not be necessary if you are using broth). Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 6 to 7 minutes before adding the pasta. Cook the pasta until a few seconds before the package says it should be ready (it will continue  cooking in the hot broth) and then immediately remove the pan from the heat. Ladle into bowls, diving to the bottom of the pot each time to make sure everyone has a fair helping of pasta and broth. Drizzle a little olive oil over each bowl if you like, but definitely give a good sprinkling of Parmesan (about 1 very heaping tablespoon for each bowl). Serve immediately.

Notes/Results: Simple, nourishing and good. This soup (even with broth or bouillon paste) takes just a few minutes to make. I thought I had a can of tomato sauce but forgot I used it up so I subbed in a whole can of fire-roasted tomatoes. I could have blended them into sauce but I like the texture the pieces provide. The Romano cheese I had in the fridge subbed in for the Parmesan. Although lemon and butter is always my favorite, I would happily make this one again.

Linking up at I Heart Cooking Clubs for another week of Needs Must cooking.

Let's see who is waiting in the Souper Sundays kitchen this week:

Shaheen of Allotment2Kitchen shared Indian Inspired Potato and Chickpea Salad and said, "Also a change from sandwiches and pasta salads, I made a Indian inspired Chickpea Salad Potato Salad smothered in mild spices and mango chutney.  I don't think my mother would approve, but I know my nephews and nieces would.  It was still warm when we ate it and I liked that as often my salads at work are cold or just room temperature."

Thank you to Judee and Shaheen for joining me this week!

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here.
If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...

To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

• Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you. Also please see below for what to do on your blog post that you link up to Souper Sundays in order to be included in the weekly round-up.

and 

On your entry post (on your blog):

• Mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and add a link back to this post. (Not to be a pain but it's polite and only fair to link back to events you link up at--so if you link a post up here without linking back to this post or my blog on your post, it will be removed.)
• You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (completely optional).

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Have a happy, healthy week and be safe and well!