Taste of Tuesday

It's 7:30pm and I find myself all alone in the house. Kyle had an errand to run and somehow all three little veggies weaseled their way into accompanying him. Lucky moi, non? So I'm enjoying a small bowl of chocolate chip ice cream and posting about another of my favorite soups:

Tortellini Soup

1 T olive oil
1 C white onion, roughly chopped
1 C red pepper, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t Italian seasoning
1-2 C water
2 C roughly chopped raw spinach, or 1 C frozen spinach (adjust for less water if using frozen)
2 cans white beans (navy or great northern), rinsed and drained
20 oz. chicken or vegetable broth
14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, undrained
9 oz cheese tortellini (I usually use Trader Joe's or Barilla brand shelf stable tortellini)
optional: 1 small can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
optional: 1/2 lb Italian sausage, browned

Garnish with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese. Serve with breadsticks, homemade focaccia,
or Italian bread.

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onions, red pepper, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Saute for five minutes, or until ingredients are tender.

Add the water, spinach, beans, broth, tomatoes (with juices), and artichokes to the pot.

Raise the heat and bring the soup to a boil.

Lower the heat and simmer for a few minutes. Add sausage here if you desire.

Add the tortellini and cook until al dente.

Note: If you want to start this soup earlier in the day, don't cook the tortellini until about 20 minutes before you want to serve it. The pasta tends to absorb most of the liquid. Have some extra broth on hand in case your soup ends up more like a dish you'd eat with a fork!

Everyone who tries this soup thinks it's delicious. All of my kids eat it too, which is a bonus! I have a good recipe for a homemade focaccia. I usually make that to go with it, and maybe serve a bit of fruit. I don't usually make it with the Italian sausage because the beans add a lot of protein. I do prefer the fresh spinach.

I'm trying to eat well this week in preparation for the deluge of candy coming my way this weekend. I feel sick to my stomach just thinking about it! Any great ideas for not going overboard?