Contest Winning Pizza Soup Recipes

Steps:

• For croutons, preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, mix melted butter, garlic powder and pepper. Add bread cubes; toss to coat. Transfer croutons to a 15x10x1-in. baking pan; bake, stirring every 5 minutes, until golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack., Meanwhile, in a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 5 soup ingredients; pour in broth. Cook, covered, on low about 2 hours or until vegetables are tender., Increase slow-cooker heat setting to high. Mix flour and water until smooth; whisk flour mixture into broth. Cook until thickened, 30-40 minutes. Stir in wine. Whisk in cheeses until melted. Add chicken and ham; heat through. Serve with croutons., Freeze option: Before adding croutons, freeze cooled soup in freezer containers. Freeze croutons separately. To use, partially thaw soup in refrigerator overnight. Heat soup through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally; add broth or water if necessary. While soup is heating, thaw croutons at room temperature; sprinkle over soup.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Place tomatoes in a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Combine 1/4 cup oil and garlic; drizzle over tomatoes. Toss to coat. Bake 15-20 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard skins., Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, saute onion in remaining oil until tender. Add tomatoes, water, salt and, if desired, pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 30 minutes or until flavors are blended. Cool slightly., In a blender, process soup in batches until smooth. Return to pan. Stir in cream and heat through. Sprinkle with basil if desired.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute the carrots, celery and onion in oil and butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer., Stir in the broth, tomato sauce, beans, chickpeas, tomatoes, cabbage, basil, parsley, oregano and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add macaroni; cook, uncovered, 6-8 minutes or until macaroni and vegetables are tender., Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with cheese. Freeze option: Before adding cheese, freeze cooled soup in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little broth or water if necessary.