Why are the tortellini green!?

That’s the spinach.

Dude*, this soup is so tasty and filling! The original recipe I looked at didn’t have the beans, but I thought “What about protein?” so I added beans. They taste great, and they do add protein, but this soup doesn’t need them. It’s good with or without the beans. The tortellini are perfect with the vegetables and broth.

It’s so tasty and filling! (I’m repeating myself because it’s true!) You know how important a filling lunch is when you’re trying to lose weight. It keeps me from snacking on the jelly beans at the front desk. Plus, I just feel better when I eat well.

Also, this soup was super easy to make. It’s a one pot meal that cooks up in about 30 minutes. It doesn’t get better than that.

Things to keep in mind:

• I used a box of vegetable broth (4 cups) and then I added two cups of water and some chicken base Better Than Bouillon. This is so I don’t have to buy two boxes and then have leftover broth in the fridge that I’m unlikely to use.
• I had some leftover sautéed red bell peppers from last week’s Balsamic-Glazed Chicken & Veggie sandwiches, so I threw those in. More veggies!
• Somewhere between the grocery cart and my kitchen, I lost my head of garlic. Instead I used some generic Garlic & Herb seasoning. I might have added some even with the garlic, because I like seasoning.
• Interesting fact: Did you know the singular of “tortellini” is “tortellino”? ie. I am going to eat one tortellino.

Tortellini Spinach Soup

Serves 4 (3 cups per serving)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 large carrots, sliced
• 3 sticks of celery, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 14 oz can low-sodium diced tomatoes, with juice
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 3 oz baby spinach, sliced (3 cups)
• 9 oz package fresh, store-bought spinach and cheese tortellini
• 15 oz can low-sodium white beans, rinsed
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until the onions are translucent and the garlic is softened, another 3 minutes.
2. Add the carrot, celery, oregano, thyme, and cayenne pepper and cook, stirring, until softened, 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes with their juices, the broth, and the rinsed beans and bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Add the spinach and tortellini and cook until the tortellini are cooked through, 6 minutes. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

Tips: If you want to add a little fat and flavor to the soup, add some Italian sausage at the beginning. It will add calories, but it tastes delicious.

* Yes, I live in California. Hence, “dude” is a major part of my vocabulary.

Have a question about the recipe? A suggestion to make it even better?

Comments are welcome!

Tags: soup, spinach, tortellini, veggies

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 8th, 2011 at 2:01 pm and is filed under Healthy Dinners, Healthy Lunches, One Pot Meal, Soups & Stews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.