Seriously Good Tortellini Vegetable Soup

Yum

The more rain we get in Southern California this winter the more soup I'm going to make!

It's raining again here, (and I'm not complaining...we need it bad!) so another soup in on the menu.  Plus, soup is good for you and I've been under the weather this last week and a good soup helps heal the body and the soul.

This is a basic vegetable soup that I added some tortellini pasta to for a little extra substance.  This is the soup that depends on quality ingredients so the flavors shine.  This is also the soup that you go to on a cold winter night and you want something quick.  It takes about 40 minutes to make.  I love having a steamy bowl of delicious soup in under an hour, don't you?

SERIOUSLY GOOD TORTELLINI VEGETABLE SOUP

Carrots, celery, and zucchini along with really good chicken broth (I use low sodium to control the salt content) make up the base for this soup.  There aren't any added flavors such as spices or herbs, other than salt and pepper.  Then we add in the additional items of chopped tomatoes and cheese tortellini with a final sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.  Trust me this soups flavors shine in the wonderful broth.  It's not a whole bunch of soup, as it serves 4 healthy portions, so you can certainly double this for more. 

If you want to make and freeze the soup l would suggest not adding the tortellini before freezing.  Add it when warming up the soup and allow the pasta to cook for about 5 minutes.  Note:  Tortellini will soak up all the broth and bloat up if added prior to freezing.

We love this Seriously Good Tortellini Vegetable Soup and make it often because it is so simple and quick.  A perfect weeknight meal in under 45 minutes.

Enjoy!






Seriously Good Tortellini Vegetable Soup

Servings: 4

2 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

1 large zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

Kosher Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

6 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 lb. cheese tortellini (fresh or frozen)

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

In a medium to large sauce pan over medium high heat, warm the 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Add the carrots, celery, and zucchini to the pan and sauté until softened, about 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes. 

Add the tortellini and cook for another 5-7 minutes.  Add the chopped tomatoes and taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.

Ladle soup into bowls and drizzle with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

adapted from Williams Sonoma Tortellini and Vegetable Soup

Greek Style Lemony Chicken and Orzo Soup

Yum

Nothing says comfort like a hearty bowl of chicken soup.

Winter is the time to use all the citrus you can.  Lemons are in abundance right now and they brighten up any dish.  So if you are a little under the weather, or just want hot comfort food on a cold day turn to my Greek Style Lemony Chicken and Orzo Soup. 

This soup is full of hearty vegetables and tender chicken in a bright lemony broth.  This is sooooo comforting it will satisfy you any night of the week.  PLUS, it's easy to make!

GREEK STYLE LEMONY CHICKEN AND ORZO SOUP

If you have some leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken handy you can throw this soup together in about 30-45 minutes.  That's perfect for a weeknight meal!

I cooked the pasta separately and added it to the soup at the end so that it doesn't absorb all the broth.  I've found out the hard way that this tiny pasta can really drink up all your broth!  Also, the lemon and fresh parsley are added at the end as well for a bright and fresh finish.  To flavor the broth even more I added whole sprigs of rosemary and thyme.  Make sure that you watch them and take them out before the rosemary falls off from the stems.  (Another lesson learned on one of my previous soups!)  I just don't like the hard woody stems floating around in my broth. (I'm picky that way)

I used my multi-purpose pot to make the soup.  It's large enough to hold it all well and cooks evenly.  I love this pot and use it with many of my dishes.  You can find it here.

Serve this with my Simple Garlic Cheese Bread for a great side dish.  With the flavors of Parmesan and garlic these make great dippers for your soup. 

Kitchen Tip:  #1 The cooked orzo is added just before serving. If added to the soup earlier, it will absorb too much of the broth and become mushy.
#2 Only keep the sprigs of rosemary and thyme in the simmering broth for about 10 minutes and then remove before they separate from their stems.


Enjoy!




Greek Style Lemony Chicken and Orzo Soup

serves 6

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup carrots, sliced or diced
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
4 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1/2 cup dry orzo pasta
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
salt and black pepper to taste

In a large pot over medium heat sweat your onions, celery, carrots and garlic until softened, about 10 minutes.

Add broth, water, bay leaves, thyme and rosemary sprigs.  Increase heat to high and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer about 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water according to the package directions.  Drain and set aside.

Add in chicken and orzo.  Simmer until chicken is heated through.  About 10 minutes.  Add parsley, zest and lemon juice right before serving.  Season with salt and pepper as well.

Cheeseburger Soup

I love lazy Sundays don't you?

Two Sundays ago it was cloudy and sort of rainy.  We got up and took advantage of a dry spell in between showers and went to Coffee and Cars (a local car gathering) and then on to a quick turn in the new Farmer's Market at The Village (a great market!) to grab some items for dinner.  When we got home it was still morning...love that!  The rest of the day was ours to do whatever.  Or nothing.

Since the weather finally decided (for 1 day) to turn rainy I had my appetite set on soup that night.  So while I was lazing around doing laundry and watching the Smithsonian channel I started digging through my mom's old recipes and came across this soup.  She called it Cheeseburger Soup and I instantly remembered her making this from time to time growing up.  

It's more of a potato soup with some beef, veggies, and cheese added and boy it is comforting.  We both loved the creamy flavor and would certainly call this comfort food.  This can be made in about 45 minutes so it's a fairly quick soup.  

Since this recipe if probably from the 60's it does have processed cheese as an ingredient.  If you want to substitute that, please do.  I'm sure you will gain great results with shredded cheddar but may need to cook a little longer in order for it to melt well.

All in all this is just what the doctor ordered for a lazy, rainy Sunday!

Enjoy!





Cheeseburger Soup
serves 6 - 8

1/2 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
3/4 c shredded carrots
2 stalks celery, diced
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
4 T butter, divided
3 1/2 c low sodium chicken broth
4 c diced peeled potatoes (about 3 medium)
1/4 c flour

8 oz, Velveeta, cubed
1 1/2 c milk
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 c sour cream

In a medium saucepan brown the ground beef.  Drain and set aside. In the same saucepan, add 1 T butter.  Add the onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley and saute until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Add the broth, potatoes and beef.  Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 12 minutes until potatoes are tender.  

In a small pan over medium heat add remaining 3 T butter and allow to melt.  Add flour and stir for about 3 minutes or until cooked through.  Add the roux to the soup. Bring soup to a boil and stir for 2 minutes to thicken.  Reduce heat to low. Add the cheese, milk, salt and pepper.  Continue to cook until melted.  Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Serve.

Chicken Ditalini Soup

Have you ever had one of those days?

You know, the kind where you feel you woke up on the wrong side of the bed and then everything snowballs from there and just goes kinda off.  Well, I had one yesterday.

It started with breakfast.  I was making some new muffins, that just about burnt.  I don't like the flavor of "over browned" muffins, and I'm sure you don't either. So wasn't to pleased with them.  Then I was rushing off to an appointment and couldn't find my keys. That never happens, cause I leave them in the same place all the time...but no, they were not there.  Now I'm rushing and having found my keys in my purse, I rush to the car....Oops!  no GAS!

What else is going to happen?  So, I made it to my appointment on time (barely) and things seemed to calm down for the moment.  So I decided to take a moment and re-adjust my outlook since it was spiraling out of control just as fast as the issues were occurring.  Turning on some music, I decided I needed to cook.

Comfort food was in order.  So I picked up some staples, a rotisserie chicken, and rounded up MGG for an early dinner and a movie.  Soup was in order.  Hot comforting chicken noodle soup, Italian style.  Served with some crusty bread and a nice Mediterranean style salad, the meal was just what the doctor ordered!

It's nothing fancy, but the flavors are hard to beat.  You can make this hearty satisfying soup in about 45 minutes.  Now that's a winner in my book.  

Comfort food is always a perfect way to set things back on the right track.  Trust me, I know!

Enjoy!



Chicken Ditalini Soup

45 min meal

serves 6

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small white onion, peeled and diced
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
4 cloves garlic, minced
7 cups chicken broth, low sodium
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups (about 8 ounces) ditalini pasta
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
2 rotisserie chicken breasts, cubed
salt and black pepper

Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add carrots and saute for 4 minutes. Add onion, celery and garlic and saute for an additional 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, thyme, oregano, basil and stir to combine. 

Bring soup to a boil, add chicken and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 min.  Add pasta and cook an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve.

One Pot Meal: Chicken and Asparagus Skillet Supper

 

Hi there!  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday.  Ours was filled with pretty decorations, great food, and lots of love.

But, the party season isn't over yet!  New Year's is just around the corner.  Not sure about you but we're expecting lot of friends popping in over the weekend and into the new year.  

One thing I like to do after a big holiday spread is to cook some easy dishes. This chicken dish is a one pot wonder, done all in your skillet.  Don't you just love one pot meals?  Simple, good quality ingredients make for one tasty dish...plus the clean up is a breeze!

Chicken, asparagus and summer squash go great together, and when cooked in a wonderful broth you get that comfort feeling.  I would add a little white wine to the broth next time for added flavor, but it's wonderful as it is.  Then to top it off...we have BACON!  Just a touch for that extra something special.  Everything's better with bacon as they say...I do agree!

So when you need a quick meal on the table over the next couple of days, reach for your skillet and put this one together.  It's something the whole family will enjoy.

Happy Holidays!

Chicken and Asparagus Skillet Supper

Serves 4

4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts

salt and ground black pepper

4 slices bacon, coarsely chopped

1 pound asparagus spears, trimmed

1 small yellow summer squash, halved crosswise and cut into 1/2-inch strips

1/2 cup chicken broth

2  tablespoons flour

1/2  teaspoon  finely shredded lemon peel

Lemon wedges 

Pound chicken between plastic wrap until they are even.  Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Remove and drain on a paper towel.  Add chicken to dripping and cook for 8 minutes, turning half way through.  Remove chicken from skillet; keep warm.

Add asparagus and squash to the skillet and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.   In a small bowl stir together broth, flour and lemon peel.  Add to the skillet.  Cook and stir until thick and bubbly, several minutes.   Add chicken  and cook an additional 5 minutes more or until chicken is completely done.   Sprinkle with bacon and serve.