If you are on facebook, and you are friends with anyone in the midwest, you may have heard that it's a little cold this week: bla bla bla, high of -11, bla bla bla, wind chill warnings, bla bla bla, Polar Vortex. Obviously it is a good week to make soup. Unfortunately, when Chicagoans hear certain phrases like "winter storm," they occasionally go into panic mode assuming they will not see the light of day for along time, which results in this scene at Trader Joe's.
Even though the store didn't have luxury items...like ONIONS...I decided to forge ahead and try this new recipe. It was the right thing to do.
Recipe #1: TORTELLINI SOUP WITH BEANS AND CHARD
Choice of libation: Casillero del Diablo 2012 Carmenere (highly recommended)
Choice of music: Alicia Keys' Girl on Fire album (I liked 2 songs)
Instead of onions, I used a package of leeks which was one of the only things left in the produce section. I couldn't find cans of diced tomatoes. Anywhere in Chicago. So even though Mario Batali tells us we shouldn't use fresh tomatoes for stewing or soups (he thinks it is a waste of a fresh tomato), I figured he would forgive me just this once since I plan on spending my entire annual income at EATALY (expect a blog post about that at a later date).
I love recipes where it mostly involves dumping things into a pot.
Once said things were dumped into said pot, I brought the whole thing to a boil and waited for it to simmer for awhile. How would I ever pass the time? Oooh! Leftover cheese!
Oh, hello, Pippin. Can I help you?
She needed help playing with her new Christmas toy. She and I played fetch for awhile, but she decided she needed some alone time. So I packed on a mud mask and finished my glass of Carmenere. There are no pictures of this as I did not want to break the internet.
All in all, it turned out quite well considering. Happy new year, everyone. If you need me I will be hiding from the world, sipping hot soup. Or wine. Or ginger tea with honey, and Fireball whiskey. Or...
This recipe was stolen from...
2
tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. tomato paste
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
2 quarts low-sodium broth (veggie or chicken)
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, or 2-3 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 (15 oz.) can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed (or 1½ cups cooked white beans)
2 tsp. herbes de Provence or Italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
1 Parmesan rind (optional)
Salt and pepper
9 oz. fresh whole wheat cheese tortellini (or 6 oz. dried)
1 bunch Swiss chard (or other leafy green)
Freshly grated Parmesan, to finish
In a Dutch oven or large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion to the pan and sauté until just tender, 5-6 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes, and sauté 1 minute more until fragrant. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, beans, herbs and Parmesan rind. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and let simmer 30 minutes.
Stir in the tortellini and chard. Continue to simmer until the tortellini is cooked through, according to the package directions. (If using a firm green such as kale, add it a few minutes prior to the tortellini to be sure it is completely cooked.) Ladle the soup into serving bowls and top with freshly grated Parmesan.
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. tomato paste
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
2 quarts low-sodium broth (veggie or chicken)
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, or 2-3 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 (15 oz.) can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed (or 1½ cups cooked white beans)
2 tsp. herbes de Provence or Italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
1 Parmesan rind (optional)
Salt and pepper
9 oz. fresh whole wheat cheese tortellini (or 6 oz. dried)
1 bunch Swiss chard (or other leafy green)
Freshly grated Parmesan, to finish
In a Dutch oven or large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion to the pan and sauté until just tender, 5-6 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes, and sauté 1 minute more until fragrant. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, beans, herbs and Parmesan rind. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and let simmer 30 minutes.
Stir in the tortellini and chard. Continue to simmer until the tortellini is cooked through, according to the package directions. (If using a firm green such as kale, add it a few minutes prior to the tortellini to be sure it is completely cooked.) Ladle the soup into serving bowls and top with freshly grated Parmesan.
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