Vegetable Soup with Cheese Tortellini

 

I made some delicious homemade chicken broth recently and decided to use it as a base for this vegetable soup with cheese tortellini recipe. We have all been getting over terrible colds in my house, so I thought a soup packed with veggies was just what we needed. It was a delicious and comforting soup that we all enjoyed. My daughter ate every single bite, and my son ate all but the zucchini–not bad. This easy veggie soup recipe paired nicely with a loaded Caesar salad and some warm, crusty bread.  

Vegetable Soup with Cheese Tortellini

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ cup yellow onion, diced
• 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped
• 4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 6 cups of vegetable broth or chicken broth
• 1 (15-oz) can of diced tomatoes
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp of oregano
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
• 2 small zucchini, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1 small yellow squash, chopped into bite-size pieces
• ½ lb cheese tortellini
• 3 cups sliced fresh spinach
• Asiago or Parmesan cheese, grated

How to Make Vegetable Soup with Cheese Tortellini:

Place the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery, then cook 4-5 minutes, or until softened.

Add the seasonings and garlic, then stir constantly for 60 seconds before adding the tomatoes and broth. Let the soup simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Increase the heat to medium-high, then add the tortellini, zucchini, and squash. Taste and re-season if needed.

Cook for 10 minutes or until the tortellini is cooked through.

Stir in spinach and simmer, uncovered, until spinach is wilted and all vegetables are tender, about 1 minute longer.

Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with Asiago or Parmesan cheese. Enjoy.

Note: If not serving immediately, add the spinach just before serving to retain the bright color and prevent overcooking.