cheese tortellini soup with spinach
Last night, we had a quick, fulfilling dinner of cheese tortellini soup with spinach. It was pouring here…rain, thunder and lightning like I really haven’t seen ever in Southern California. We even had a tornado warning. I was in a mad rush to pick up the boys and get home. I had no idea what to make for dinner and really was craving something warm, filling and rich without being too heavy. That’s when this soup came to mind. Served with parmesan on top and a side of crusty bread…it’s perfection on a cold, winter evening. Next time, I’m going to dollop some pesto on top to kick it up a notch.
My sister in law made it earlier this week so when I was out getting groceries, I picked up everything I needed for it. That’s the thing…you don’t need much and it’s so good and quick. I tweaked her recipe by adding in cannelini beans and kale. Make it this winter on a cold night, I promise it will be worth every minute of the thirty or less that it takes to pull together.
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- ½ cup yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 small or 1 medium carrot, chopped
- ½ tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes (can omit if you don’t prefer spicy)
- 1 (15 oz.) can crushed or diced tomatoes, with juices
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 (15 oz.) can drained and rinsed white (cannelini) beans
- 9 or 12 oz. tortellini, any variety (fresh or frozen)
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach (or kale)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Grated parmesan
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions in and cook until slightly soft, about 5 minutes. Add in red pepper flakes and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add salt and carrots and cook five minutes or so until tender.
- Add in oregano, tomatoes, vegetable broth and beans to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Add the tortellini and cook according to the package directions. About a minute before the tortellini is done, add the spinach or kale. Remove from the heat. Add additional salt and pepper as desired. Mix well. Serve with freshly grated parmesan with crusty bread on the side.
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