This is soup day! That's right!!! I am serving one of my family's favorite soups for dinner tonight: Ravioli Soup!
My husband and I were introduced to this comforting Italian-style soup in 2005 when we went to visit my sister in Southern Brazil -- an area with a large number of Italian immigrants, who for scores of years have profoundly influenced its cuisine, along with German immigrants. My sister had moved there a few years earlier, and we decided to spend Christmas week with her. We have so many good memories of those days...
Well, she and her husband took us to this cozy restaurant in Rio Grande do Sul State, on the road between the towns of Garibaldi and Bento Gonçalves in the heart of Brazil's wine country. At the time the restaurant was named Giuseppe's, but now is called Casa di Paolo.
I'll never forget my hubby's facial expression when he tasted the first spoonful. It was love at first bite! 🙂
Since then, I have been making this ravioli soup -- or at least my take on Giuseppe's soup, substituting ravioli for cappelletti. This clear broth soup is quick and easy to make.... But don't be fooled by its simplicity!!! Although our ravioli soup requires few ingredients, it tastes AMAZING.
Try this ravioli soup and you'll see just what I am talking about....
xx
Ravioli Soup (Sopa de Ravióli): Love at first bite!
Ravioli Soup
Serves 6-8
Segment: Brazilian cuisine (inspired)
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons shallots, small diced
½ cup white wine
10 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
20 oz (567 g) package of four-cheese ravioli (I used Buitoni brand)
½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or any other fresh herb(s)
Freshly shredded parmesan cheese (optional)
Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat and sauté the shallots until translucent, stirring occasionally. Pour the wine and let evaporate to half. Add the broth, salt, and pepper; then stir and bring to a boil.
2. Add the ravioli and reduce heat to medium-low. Let ravioli cook uncovered for about 7-9 minutes or until tender. Add the thyme, adjust the seasonings, and serve ravioli soup hot with a drizzle of olive oil and cheese on top, if desired.
Nydia says
This idea is wonderful. We have the wonton soup but never ravioli, but please, it's quite the same (sorry for Italians and Chinese), I mean, both are paste filled with something. I can't wait for Winter to try this.
Denise Browning says
Thanks, Nydia! I hope you have the chance to try it...It's very good! xx
Deb says
What a marvelous soup recipe, easy and bursting with flavor! A fantastic weeknight dinner idea!
Denise Browning says
Thanks, Deb! This is one of our favorite soups b/c it is simple and full of flavor. Thanks for visiting me. xx
Coffee and Crumpets says
Wow Denise, just a handful of ingredients and the soup looks amazing! We have a lot of snow in our forecast the next few days, I am going to make this. Made soup today too..it was cold over here.
Nazneen xx
Denise Browning says
Thanks, my dear Nazneen!
I wish I was there to eat your soup. You make great food.
I hope you have the opportunity to try this ravioli soup. It is one of my family's favorite soup.
Have a great weekend! xx
Nami | Just One Cookbook says
I've never made homemade ravioli but we always stock ravioli in case of busy night. I love your ravioli soup...so comforting especially on cold nights we're having.
Denise Browning says
Thanks, Nami!
My family and I love soups...This one is one of our favorite. It's simple, quick to make but full of flavor.
Thanks for stopping by!
Ginny McMeans says
This sounds so simple and beautiful. My husband will love it. Thanks!
Denise Browning says
Glad that you like this soup, Ginny! It's one of my family's favorite soups.
AcesHigh says
Denise, I never had raviolli soup here in Rio Grande do Sul... it´s always capelletti soup. And capelletti is somewhat different from raviolli, starting with the shape, but also the taste is different as well as the consistency...
Denise Browning says
Roger:
What a pity! We had both a ravioli soup and a cappelletti soup at different restaurants in Rio Grande do Sul when I visited my sister in 2005. She lived there for 5 years. The restaurant where we had the cappelletti soup doesn't exist anymore unfortunately, as you can read its name in my article. It was a simple place yet with amazing food! I also explained in my article that my ravioli soup was ADAPTED from the 'capeleti in brodo' that my husband had in that restaurant. It is my take on 'capeleti in brodo' -- the same clear broth soup but with a different pasta.Under no circumstance did I say that cappelletti was the same as ravioli. Here is a copy of one of several paragraphs of my article:
"Since then, I have been making this ravioli soup -- or at least my take on Giuseppe's soup, substituting ravioli for cappelletti. This clear broth soup is quick and easy to make.... But don't be fooled by its simplicity!!! Although our ravioli soup requires few ingredients, it tastes AMAZING."
There are many restaurants there so just because you have never had a ravioli soup it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. People and restaurants down there, as you should know, don't cook only traditional dishes. There are new dishes and also adaptation of traditional ones. 'Capeleti in broth' is the traditional dish but this doesn't mean restaurants don't use other type of pastas to make soup. I am not Italian, but I know the difference between different pastas. I know what ravioli is as well as cappelletti and tortellini -- as you said the shapes are different (as well as the dough and fillings). Before you say something else, here is another soup in my blog from the same year that I visited my sister in Rio Grande do Sul: 'Capeleti in brodo' (cappelletti soup)--
http://www.frombraziltoyou.org/tortellini-soup-capelete-in-brodo/
Since I wasn't able to find cappelleti at my local supermarkets, I used tortellini instead (the closest in shape to cappelletti). I even put a note under the recipe in English.