Creamy Tortellini Soup
One of the best things I did this Summer: make homemade marinara. More specifically, gather up my garden tomatoes, cook them down + can them up, and stock my pantry with a few jars of sweet, fresh marinara. Let me tell you what - watching 4 pounds of tomatoes, which is quite the overflowing bowl, cook down to one 1 quart of sauce is quite something. But seriously - it was such a great way to make use of all the tomatoes in our garden, and opening my pantry to see a few jars of homemade sauce was pretty gratifying. One of my favorite things to make with it is this Creamy Tortellini Soup. It’s a taste of home. Lots of veggies + tender tortellinis swimming in the most flavorful tomato sauce - it’s perfect. The marinara sauce is the heart of the broth for the whole thing, and it’s just the most perfect Summer tomato flavor. So fresh + so yummy - a little taste of our Summer garden preserved for Fall dinners, and that’s something to celebrate at this house.
Amped up tomato soup
it almost felt silly to put my jar of marinara into soup. I couldn’t help but question myself, asking if I’m “wasting it” by not saving it all for pasta. The answer is a resounding no, and using fresh marinara in soup has helped me wrap my brain around the fact that homemade marinara is just a great way to preserve sweet Summer tomatoes, and get that flavor into whatever recipe it fits into. It definitely fits in here.
The tomato base is amped up with chunks of fresh veggies - the classic combo of carrots, onions, and red bells. That classic combo + fresh kale peppered in - each bowl is just the most perfect bowl of veggies.
Hit the easy button
Soup is easy to make, and frankly it’s my go to when I want something homemade (and healthy) but don’t want to make an absolute mess out of my kitchen. Anyone that’s not approaching soup from a strategic “throw it all in one pot + let it do its thing” perspective is just not doing soup night right.
The way to jazz it up - toppings! Cheese + spices + all the little extra (in this case pesto) - it takes a bowl of soup to the territory of exciting and really fun to eat, and that’s what a homemade dinner is all about.
The cherry on top - fresh pesto
If you’ve got the time, the food processor, and the basil - make the homemade pesto! There is just nothing better. Homemade pesto just gives you the chance to dial the herbs + spices to just how you want it. For us, it’s the couple extra cloves of garlic to give it a little kick that does it. Cut to me in the kitchen spooning it onto a cracker - it’s so good you will want an extra big dollop in your soup. And the color? Store bought pesto could never! It’s so green + vibrant, and a really pretty pop in your bowl of soup.
The dollop of pesto plus a little hit of fresh parmesan sprinkled on hot bowl of soup, and you’re in business!
For the soup
EVOO
6-7 garlic cloves, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
12-16 oz. vegetarian ground beef (like Impossible Patties)
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 carrots, diced
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
salt + pepper
32 oz. marinara
3 c. chicken broth
9-10 oz. tortellini (I like a cheese + kale filled tortellini)
1-2 c. fresh kale
2/3 c. heavy cream
parmesan + pesto for serving
Place a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add in about 2 tbsp of EVOO. When it’s hot, add in the garlic + onions, and cook for 7-8 minutes. Stir the onions every 2-3 minutes. Add in the Impossible Patties - breaking up the patties with a spatula so it resembles ground beef. Cook for about 10 minutes - stirring occasionally. Add in the bell pepper, carrots, and all of the spices, including a pinch of salt + pepper. Stir everything together + cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour in the marinara + broth, and bring the soup to a simmer. When the broth is simmering, add in the tortellini. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and continue to cook for 15 minutes. Stir in the kale + heavy cream, cover the pot, and cook for another 10 minutes.
Ladle the soup into warm bowls. Top bowls with a dollop os pesto + a pinch of parmesan, and enjoy!