Tortellini Soup and Bread

I LOVE soup. I could eat it everyday (well, if it's good soup of course). This one is.

I have a friend named Liz, who's talented in every way. She's a quilter, musician, and a fabulous cook. She contributed this soup to a luncheon and I could not stop eating it. I love a pot of soup simmering for hours on the stove in winter. This long, slow, simmer is what gives good soups their rich flavors. However, I don't always have "hours" before dinner. This recipe is a favorite of mine because it doesn't need to simmer all day and the prep is quick. The best thing about this soup is that you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry and fridge.

If you like it as much as my family does you will see that you keep the ingredients on hand. Add a fresh roll or slice of fresh whole wheat bread brushed with melted butter from HBinFive and you have DINNER.

I've made some changes (not that the original needed it) but because I like to "use up" some of my own freezer supplies from my fresh garden in the fall, like my slow-roasted tomatoes

and my frozen chard. The original recipe calls for frozen spinach, and it's fine. Don't skip the sugar. This soup needs it ( trust me on this one).

Tortellini Soup

1 bunch of Swiss chard (or 1-10 oz. box of frozen spinach, squeezed dry and chopped)

1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped

1 lb. of porcini mushrooms, sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tsp. olive oil

64 oz. chicken broth (homemade or canned)

2 cups slow-roasted tomatoes + 1-14 oz. can chopped tomatoes ( or 1-28 oz. can of tomatoes)

2 tsp. sugar

1-18 oz. package of prepared tortellini

6 Tab. fresh parmesan cheese, grated

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp. salt

2 eggs, whisked

Sauté the onions, garlic, carrots, and mushrooms until translucent. Add the broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Add the sugar, chopped chard, and tortellini. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Whisk the cheese, salt, pepper, and eggs together. Add to the soup in a slow stream. Simmer for two minutes more.

Serve hot.

This recipe states that it serves 10. I would say it serves more like 14.

The flavor is great for a soup that takes all of half an hour. This recipe feeds a crowd so halve it if you are cooking for just a few people.

Here's my recipe for slow-roasted tomatoes. I realize you don't have fresh tomatoes from your garden right now (unless maybe you are in the southern hemisphere) but canned ones work fine, and the flavor of these tomatoes are great in soups, pasta, and sauces. Try them.

Slow-roasted Tomatoes

Start to finish: 5 minutes prep, plus 2 ½ hours unattended baking time

Cook’s notes: Do not use a metal baking pan or cast iron skillet as they can cause a chemical reaction and destroy the flavor.

About 2 lbs. chopped fresh garden tomatoes or 2-28 oz. cans of diced tomatoes

Cooking oil spray

2 large onions (or about 2 cups chopped)

1 Tab. choppped fresh garlic

3 Tab. olive oil

1/4 C. fresh basil leaves, loosely packed or 1 Tab. dried crushed basil leaves

1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 300˚ F.

2. Pour the tomatoes into a colander and set them in the sink to drain. Spray a 9” x 13” glass pan with oil spray. Set aside.

3. Peel and coarsely chop the onions and scatter the pieces in the pan. Add the olive oil, garlic and basil to the dish. Stir until well combined.

4. Bake uncovered in the middle of the oven for 2 ½ hours, stirring once halfway through, until the tomatoes are thick and most of the liquid has evaporated.

5. Use at once or refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat the tomatoes (if necessary) in the microwave, covered with a paper towel, on high, for 1 to 2 minutes per 1 cup of tomatoes, stirring once halfway through. The tomatoes also may be frozen in 1 cup batches for up to 6 months. To defrost the tomatoes, place them in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.

Makes 4 cups.

This is posted at Two for Tuesdays. 

Linked to March Iron Chef Challenge