Tortellini Soup

Last week I made tortellini soup and completely forgot to write about it, let alone share the recipe. I have had this recipe for many years. To be honest I'm not sure where it came from, BUT it is one of those rarities that both the huz and I love. Sometimes he even requests it, and he's not even a big soup fan. Or pasta fan. Or tomato fan. So that says a lot for this recipe.

I have to tell you it is super easy and super fast. The key is to have all of your ingredients prepped before you even start cooking because it goes together that quickly.

On a completely separate note - HAPPY EASTER!  As I type I am patiently waiting for my in-laws arrival (we are hosting Easter dinner - woo hoo), so this is really helping me take the edge off. Because I have been focused on Easter that past two days I haven't given my weekly menu a ton of thought. I can tell you it will have a Mexican/Spanish theme though, and I'm fairly confident I have the menu planned out.  I can tell you with 75% certainty that tomorrow night we will be having Vegetarian Tortilla Soup and Quesadillas. I'm pretty sure.

Now back to Tortellini Soup. Enjoy!

Makes 4 - 6 servings

1 tablespoon butter
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 - 14 1/2 ounce can vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
1 - 9 ounce package cheese tortellini
1/4 cup grated Parmesan + additional for garnish
Salt and Pepper
1 - 14 1/2 ounce can petite dice tomatoes
1/2 bunch or package of spinach, stemmed and julienne sliced
1 teaspoon dried basil

1. Melt butter in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute 2 minutes.
2. Stir in broth and tortellini. Bring to a boil and reduce heat.  Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until tortellini are just tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir tomatoes, spinach, and basil into soup. Simmer 2 minutes.
4. Serve, topping with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Bowl of Yum!

As a person who eats a primarily vegetarian diet, there is no shortage of fiber in my life.  I eat a lot of dark leafy greens, beans, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. It's just a given when you cut red meat, pork, and chicken out of your life. I always kind of laugh when I see fiber commercials because it really baffles me how fiber can be lacking in one's diet, because fiber is almost it's own food group in my world.

Case in point: I think towards the end of last week I was on fiber overload. Without being too specific lets just say I probably could have had a colonoscopy, no problem.
Call Dr. McDreamy.  I needed carbs, stat!  Carbs would be the only cure.

Because we were going to be out and about quite a bit on Saturday, I knew the huz and I would be dining out much of the day. Mind you I had oatmeal for breakfast (old habits die hard), but made up for it at lunch when I had scrambled eggs, crispy cottage potatoes, and a big, fat buttery biscuit. Yes, that was my lunch. No, it was not a second breakfast.  I was in carb heaven.

Saturday night, we hit Taco del Mar, on our drive home, and picked up a couple burritos and chips with queso. To quote my eleven year old niece, "OMG." What a good burrito (and yes, Nicole, I did nuke it when I got home so it would be piping hot). Of course, my burrito was beans and veggies on a wheat tortilla, but it was fast food, so it had to be carb heavy somehow. You know they hide the carbs in there somewhere. Oh I know, the plate of tortilla chips and queso was the carb balance I was looking for.

Needless to say by Sunday, I was ready for my usual fare. Those carbs work fast!  I knew just the perfect meal - Kale and White Bean Soup. The name says it all. Creamy cannelini beans, chewy pasta, hearty kale - I love being a vegetarian. I love soup. You should too.

Oh, and I almost forgot, I had a bit of pizza dough left over from Thurdsay night, and got a wild hair (or is it hare) to make dinner rolls. Basically I just rolled the dough into balls, put them in a muffin pan, drizzled a little olive oil on them and baked them for 15 - 20 minutes or so, at 425 degrees. While they were still in the pan, I put a little butter, salt, and fresh parsley on top.  That's how we roll in our house.  Peace out.

Keep rolling, rolling, rolling....

Kale and White Bean Soup

Serves 8| Hands-On Time: 25m | Total Time: 30m

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 15.5-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed
• 1 cup small soup pasta, such as tubettini, ditalini, or orzo (4 ounces)
• 1 bunch kale, thick stems discarded and leaves torn into 2-inch pieces (8 cups)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 cup shaved Parmesan (2 ounces), plus 1 piece rind (optional)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 loaf country bread, warmed

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add the garlic, celery, onion, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4 to 6 minutes.
3. Add the beans, pasta, kale, rosemary, 8 cups water, and Parmesan rind (if using). Cover and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer until the pasta and kale are tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Remove the Parmesan rind. Stir in the lemon juice and sprinkle with the shaved Parmesan before serving. Serve with the bread.

Courtesy of Real Simple Magazine - Sara Quessenberry,  January 2010

Spring is in the air.  With daffodils blooming, and a 59 degree day, today, I feel that we are on the verge of spring (or perhaps that is my wishful heart hoping that winter is about to be officially put to rest).  Unfortunately one of the innocent victims of the end of winter is soup. October through March are really the prime soup months. Gray skies, rain showers, and shorter days go hand in hand with a steaming bowl of soup.

Nobody in the dead of winter ever says they want to curl up with a cozy blanket, by the fire, and eat a green salad. It's the slow cooked meals -  the house filled with the aroma of some beautiful creation simmering away all day, ready to warm you from the inside out. That is what makes soup the best thing ever. Add a grilled cheese sandwich...and forget about it.

With daylight savings arriving, or returning (not really sure which) on Sunday, I see soup recipes thinning out soon. Luckily, I found a great new recipe that I can't wait to share with you. It comes from Real Simple magazine (February 2011).  If you actually make this soup, you will be AMAZED at how easy, tasty, and truly satisfying it is.

One tip: I used my immersion blender for this. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can use a traditional blender, but I tell you what, immersion blenders are awesome.  Once you go immersion you never go back. 

This is one smooth operator - pun intended :-)

Second tip: I did not have Bagel chips to put on my soup. I figured the Bagel chip was essentially acting as a crouton (texture, salt) for the creamy soup.  Instead, we had Parmesan/garlic pretzel nugget things in our pantry, that I put in a plastic storage bag, and pulverized with my rolling pin. I think they worked really well, so don't be afraid to be resourceful and use what you already have.

Here's the star of our show...

Creamy Broccoli Soup

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 20m | Total Time: 40m

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1⁄8 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 bunch broccoli, florets roughly chopped and stems peeled and sliced (about 7 cups)
• 1 large russet potato (about 8 ounces), peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 ounces sharp white Cheddar, grated (1⁄2 cup)
• bagel chips, for serving

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and red pepper (if using) and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes.
2. Add the broth, broccoli, potato, 2 cups water, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are very tender, 18 to 20 minutes.
3. In a blender, working in batches, puree the soup until smooth, adjusting the consistency with water as necessary. (Alternatively, use a handheld immersion blender in the saucepan.) Top with the Cheddar and bagel chips, if desired, before serving.

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

I became a vegetarian toward the end of my college career.  Ironically enough one of the reasons I became vegetarian was because I was addicted to a soup.  When I was in college I worked at a small coffee shop long before there was a Starbucks on every corner. I was a barrista before the word existed.  I loved working in this coffee shop. The owners were like family, the place had history, and people loved going there.

We were a typical coffee shop: coffee, tea, in house baked goods in the morning, soups, salads, and sandwiches in the afternoon. Every day we had two soups on the menu, Vegetarian Vegetable and a daily special. The daily special changed every day, just as the name implied,  and I never knew what wonderful soup would be on the menu  until I came to work that morning.  My kryptonite….Turkey Noodle Soup.

I had to pause for a second there. I’m sure it s like an addict remembering their last fix. This soup was intoxicating. This was no ordinary Turkey Noodle Soup. This was NOT some weak, little chicken noodle soup made with turkey. This was its own being.

Turkey Noodle Soup was a cream based soup, not broth. This was not a cream base that you could stand your spoon in, but a perfectly smooth, coat your spoon kind of base.  The pasta of choice was elbow macaroni.  As the soup simmered throughout the morning, the pasta would plump up, absorbing the creamy deliciousness.  Of course there was cubed turkey, carrots, celery, and fresh parsley, but this soup really had me with the noodles and cream.

I couldn’t resist it. It would call to me all day. Every time I walked by the steam table, I had to have a taste. And then another.  Then a little cup.  Then another spoonful. I could not stop myself when it came to this soup. I gained 10 pounds working in this coffee shop strictly because of this soup.

 I had to do something. What could I do to keep from eating this gift from God?  I knew the only remedy was to stop eating meat. That would be the only way I would not eat this beautiful soup. No meat = No Turkey Noodle Soup. I know it sounds drastic, but when you are faced with an addiction it is never easy. You have to take the first step. The detox was rough, but I white knuckled it. No support group necessary.  I have lived to tell the tale. 

Eventually the owners sold the shop and the new owners turned it into a sushi place, so that was the definitive end of Turkey Noodle Soup for me. I have never seen it since, but its memory lives on.

You are probably wondering what Turkey Noodle Soup has to do with Vegetarian Tortilla Soup.  Since I became a vegetarian roughly 18 years ago a new soup has come to fruition: Chicken Tortilla Soup. Of course I’ve never had Chicken Tortilla Soup, but it has always intrigued me. No, it’s not cream based, and there is no noodle in sight, but the thought of vegetables and beans, simmering in a flavorful broth topped with fried tortilla strips – who doesn’t want some of that?

The Oregonian recently published a Vegetarian Tortilla Soup recipe that I could not wait to try. We had this on Tuesday night.  It is amazing the depth of flavor it achieves in such a short period of time.  I actually let mine simmer for 45 minutes, because I had the time.  I may have a new favorite.  Bring on the chips and salsa!!!

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Published January 19, 2010

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

·       4 6-inch corn tortillas (see note)

·       3 tablespoons vegetable oil

·       3/4 cup chopped onion

·       2 cloves garlic, minced

·       1 tablespoon tomato paste

·       1 teaspoon ground cumin

·       3/4 teaspoon chili powder

·       4 cups canned vegetable broth

·       4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (divided)

·       1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes

·       1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

·       2/3 cup frozen corn kernels

·       1 1/2 tablespoons minced, seeded jalapeño chile

·       Salt and freshly ground black pepper

·       Garnishes: diced avocado, sour cream, shredded jack cheese or queso fresco, lime wedges, minced green onion

Instructions

If the tortillas are fresh, dry them in a 200-degree oven for about 10 minutes. Cut tortillas in half, then cut the halves crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat until hot. In batches, fry the tortilla strips until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

If necessary, discard all but a couple teaspoons of the oil. Add the onion and sauté until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Stir in tomato paste, cumin and chili powder. Add broth and 2 tablespoons cilantro and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Add tomatoes, beans, corn and jalapeño to the soup. Cover and simmer until ingredients are heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide half of the tortilla strips among the bowls. Ladle soup on top and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro and tortilla strips. Serve, letting guests embellish their own soups with the garnishes.

Note: If you like, you can skip the tortilla-frying step and just use a few cups of broken tortilla chips instead.

PER SERVING (without garnishes): calories: 330 (31% from fat); protein: 4.4 grams; total fat: 11.5 grams; saturated fat: 1 gram; cholesterol: 0; sodium: 984 mg; carbohydrate: 53.2 grams; dietary fiber: 13.8 grams

Adapted from Bon Appétit

Roasted Pepper Soup

I love soup. It’s my favorite. Lentil. Broccoli Cheddar. Tomato Bisque. Hungarian Mushroom. Clam Chowder. Even  Ramen. I could eat soup every day. 

I realize not everyone is as passionate about soup as I am, but I do believe we all have fond memories of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Or chicken noodle soup with saltine crackers when we weren’t feeling 100%. It comforted us. Made us feel safe and secure, like everything would be alright. I still feel that way when I sit down with a nice bowl of soup.   

Now I cannot sustain myself on soup alone – nor would the huz find that a particularly satisfying meal (a nice starter perhaps, but not a veritable feast), so I paired it with Panini sandwiches (grilled steak and mozzarella for the huz and cheese for me), and it was the perfect dinner on a really windy, rainy night.

I’ve never made Roasted Pepper Soup from scratch before. I have purchased it in the carton form, though, so I was anxious to try this recipe.  It was so easy.

Roasted Pepper Soup

Serves 6- 8

4 to 5 red bell peppers (about 1 ½ pounds)

1 ½ pounds ripe tomatoes

1 red onion

3 garlic cloves

½ red chili

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

5 cups vegetable or chicken stock

Salt and pepper

1 cup Greek yogurt, as garnish

1.       Preheat oven to 350F

2.       Quarter peppers and deseed them. Halve the tomatoes and roughly chop the onion, garlic, and chili. Pull all the vegetables on a baking sheet. 

3.       Mix the vinegar and oil, and pour over the vegetables, making sure everything is well coated.

4.       Roasted the vegetables, for 45 minutes, turning them at least once during their cooking time.

5.       All vegetables to cool. Either process the vegetables through a food mill to remove the skins, or pulse the vegetables in a food processor.



Pureed to perfection!



6.       Place the pureed vegetables in a saucepan and thin with stock to the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Warm the soup and enjoy.  Garnish with a dollop of Greek yogurt if you like.