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~