Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Rainy Days and Tuesdays...

always make me crave soup!  I have a new soup that we are trying out for dinner tonight, so check back for the recipe and reviews later this week.  In the meantime I thought I would share another Mitchell Family favorite, Tortellini and Vegetable Soup.

You may notice that this soup calls for several canned and pre-packaged ingredients.  With a family of six to feed, convenience is often a priority for me when planning out the dinner menu.  While no one has gotten rickets or scurvy around here yet, I do recognize that there are healthier options out there too.  I think one of the great things about soup is that it allows for so much improvisation.  Most of my soup recipes have been tweaked and improved over time until I get them just right for our family. 

You can certainly tweak the recipes I share to fit your schedule and lifestyle too.  There are some great organic frozen and canned products now as well as frozen and canned vegetables with low salt, low sugar, etc.  You can also opt for fresh ingredients, leaner cuts of meat or reduced fat varieties of your favorite dairy products.  I find soup is very forgiving and most importantly...really hard to screw up!  So get your Julia Child on and try a little of this and a little of that until you create your own perfect version of soup joy! 


Tortellini and Vegetable Soup
Makes 4 - 5 servings

Ingredients: 

2     (14 1/2-ounce) cans of vegetable broth
1     (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1     medium leek (white and tender green), rinsed well and chopped
2     garlic cloves, crushed through a press
1/4  cup chopped basil
1     (28-ounce can) diced peeled tomatoes
1     red bell pepper, chopped
2     cups chopped zucchini (about 1 medium)
1     (9-ounce) package fresh cheese tortellini
1/2   tsp. garlic pepper
Grated parmesan cheese for serving


In a 4-quart crock pot, mix together all of the ingredients except the grated cheese.

Cover and cook on high for about 3 hours or until tortellini are tender.  Do not overcook or the tortellini will become mushy.  Serve immediately, topped with a sprinkling of cheese.

**Tips and tricks - I have shamelessly cheated on virtually every ingredient in this recipe without any repercussions.  I have used vegetable bouillon, I have used frozen corn, plain old green onions instead of those snobby leeks, garlic from a jar (GASP!), dried spices, frozen tortellini, etc.  Nothing bad has ever happened, so don't feel trapped by the confines of the recipe. 

Even with all of the vegetables swimming around in this broth like rabid sharks threatening to devour their chicken nugget-heavy diets, my children love this soup.  Don't forget to sprinkle the cheese on too, it's a big selling point with the short crowd.  Although, I suspect my children might just eat anything with cheese on it.  That doesn't make them sound too bright, does it?  Anyhoo, this is a soup that the whole family will love so put it on the menu and give Mr. Tyson a well-deserved night off.

P.S.  A little shout out to my friend, MichelleC.  This is her favorite soup recipe of mine and I always think of her when I make it!  I hope she's reading!  :)

3 comments:

  1. I use minced garlic from a jar all the time! Gasp!

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  2. Shannon, I'm soooooooo happy that you are doing this. I may primarily live vicariously through you, but it will be so much fun to read your blog posts, even if I never make the soup. :)

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