Kale & Tortellini Soup

I’ve developed a bad habit that goes something like this: make blog-worthy meal, forget to take a picture, promise to take a picture of the leftovers, take the leftovers for lunch which I eat in my windowless “office”, get down to the final serving of the leftovers and realized I haven’t taken a picture of this meal. So that’s why you’re getting an iPhone picture of this soup in my Pyrex container.

I’m on-call from Friday morning until Monday morning every other weekend, and two weekends ago, I had an awful call. I only go in for emergencies (i.e., deaths), and I went in four times. None of the patients were over 60. I haven’t talked much about work here because most of the stories are not my stories to tell, but I was zonked. I needed some therapeutic time in the kitchen and some comfort food, and this meal fulfilled both. The broth was surprisingly but pleasantly spicy from the red pepper. I generally prefer blended soups to soups with a lot of component parts, though for a satisfying meal, this did the trick.

Kale & Tortellini Soup
source: Apple A Day
Yields 6 servings

Ingredients

1 tsp. olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried Herbes de Provence (or thyme)
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 (14 oz.) can low-sodium fire-roasted diced tomatoes
8 c. low-sodium vegetable broth
1 (14 oz.) can canellini beans, drained and rinsed
6 oz. kale, washed, ribbed, and chopped
1 (9 oz.) package whole wheat cheese tortellini
1/2 c. grated Parmesan, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

1.  Heat oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook 3 minutes more.

2.  Add in carrots, celery, oregano, thyme, and red pepper flakes.  Cook mixture, stirring often, until softened, 5-6 minutes.

3.  Add the tomatoes, with their juices, and broth.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes.

4.  Add beans, kale, and tortellini and continue simmering until tortellini are cooked through, about 6 minutes.  Serve topped with Parmesan cheese, if desired