Italian Tortellini Soup

I've been making this soup for over 20 years.  An oldie but goodie at my house.  It's chock full of vegetables and is extremely rich in nutrients.  I love shopping in the produce department for all of these great ingredients.  It's a little pricey to make, but it makes 6 quarts, which can be frozen.

                                                           You will need the following:

                                                                 1 bunch of  Celery
                                                              2 bunches of  Scallions
                                                                    4 Carrots
                                                              1 Package of Spinach
                                                              1  can of  Diced  Tomatoes
                                                                   1/2 Red Onion
                                                     4 tbsps. of Minced or Chopped Garlic
                                                            1 Package of Cheese Tortellini
                                                             2 Quarts of Chicken Broth
                                                               Grated Parmesan Cheese
                                                              2 tbsps. Italian Seasoning
                                                                   Salt and Pepper

 To start, we need to soften the hardier vegetables by sauteing them in olive .  I chop the celery, carrots, onion, scallions and place them in the pot.  I use the ENTIRE scallion, less the roots, as well as the leafy part of the celery.  There is no reason not to and considering the high cost of food, why waste them?  Many nutrients are there as well.

 I add the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper as well.  It's so colorful and pretty!!! Simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes.  Add the chicken broth at this time.  I buy the low sodium jar paste.  Love it and it's so easy to use.

Stir and put the cover on the pot.  Cook on medium heat for about a half hour.  We can add the spinach once it reaches a low boil.

Turn down the heat to low, stir and cover.  Continue to cook for another 30 minutes.  Add the diced tomatoes.  Turn off the heat, but keep the lid on for an additional 15 minutes. 

The key to this soup is DO NOT ADD THE TORTELLINI until you are ready to SERVE.  Why? Because tortellini has a tendency to expand and become mushy. The other reason is that we want to be able to freeze this and reheat.  Tortellini is not famous for being able to do that!! My suggestion is to take the amount of stock you are going to be serving and put it into a smaller pot.  Add the 1/2 the tortellini and cover while you grate the parmesan cheese to garnish with. Tortellini cooks quickly in the hot broth!  It sounds like a lot of work, but it's really not.

What you'll end up with is one of the most flavorful soups you'll ever eat!!  Not one negative comment has been said to me (at least to my face) about this soup. If my oldest daughter, Tara, likes this, you know it's good!!  She's my food critic!! If it gets her stamp of approval, I know I'm golden!!  She has even requested this before!! You can also substitute the tortellini with meatballs for an incredible Italian Wedding soup.

I was teased today with a snow flurry, which motivated me to make this!!  It's another comfort food to add to your list.  Enjoy!!