Monday, December 31, 2012

Make It: Tortellini and Black Bean Soup

cheese tortellini and black bean soup

During the winter months, I want hot soup practically every day.  This is one of my favorites.  The original recipe came from a magazine, but I’ve altered the ingredients just a bit to keep it vegetarian friendly.

Vegetarian Tortellini and Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
5 1/2 cups vegetable stock
Fresh basil leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup canned crush tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
9 oz frozen cheese tortellini (about 1/2 of a bag)
3 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 can black beans, drained
Black pepper, to taste

Use a medium soup pot or large saucepan.  Heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add in the onion and carrot and saute for 5 minutes or until onion is soft and translucent.  Add in the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes.  Add in the vegetable broth, black beans, basil, bay leaf, and salt.  Bring to a boil.  Add in the tortellini and bring to a low boil.  Cook for two minutes.  Reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 6 minutes.  Stir in the parsley and pepper and cook for 1-2 more minutes.  Remove the bay leaf before serving.  Makes about 5 servings.

**Tips:  I don’t think veggie stocks are as salty as chicken stocks, so I do usually end up adding more salt than the original recipe.  Do a taste test first.  Purely preference, however.  Also, parsley isn’t just a garnish; It has some amazing health benefits and is full of vitamin K.  I usually add more than the recipe calls for.  Substitute any can of beans in your pantry for the black beans.  In the photo above, I used a tri-bean blend.

Enjoy!

~julee~