The winter holidays sure came quick! This year I've tried to be more present in my holiday prep despite the time crunch. Yes, I had a ton of things to do, but my goal was to make sure I was in the moment, and truly enjoying what I was doing, even if it was navigating my way through crowded grocery stores. I wanted to recapture just a little bit of my childhood holiday glow. Oddly enough, this tortellini soup, whipped up as a simple weeknight dinner, is warming me up in all sorts of ways.
Now that it's Christmas Eve eve, I think it's fair to say I've done pretty well with my holiday intentions. I baked with love, picked out presents with thought, wrapped with joy (and not frustration that the cats tried to "help"), and allowed myself (without guilt) to take a few semi-homemade shortcuts in my cooking contributions to family get-togethers. I also made sure I made time to enjoy preparing regular old weeknight dinners around all the holiday hub-bub.
For this soup, I felt like I channeled my Nonna. It's a simple soup that makes you just feel good; warms you up in body and soul. They say when a meal is made with love, it tastes that much better. I agree. So, maybe this was the universe's way of bringing me back to my childhood roots; making me slow down and cook with love like she did.
Whatever you celebrate, whatever your plans, here's to taking pleasure in the simple things this holiday season.
Easy + Comforting Tortellini Soup
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 1 carrot, minced
- 1 celery stalk, minced
- 1/2 yellow onion, minced
- 1 parsnip, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup shredded fresh spinach
- 1 pound, dried tortellini
- 1 parmesan cheese rind
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the olive oil and saute the minced carrot, celery, onion, parsnip, and garlic until soft.
- Add the chicken broth and the parmesan cheese rind. Bring to a boil.
- Add the tortellini. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce heat. Stir in the shredded spinach, dried sage, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook 2-3 minutes more, until the spinach is wilted and the tortellini are al dente.
- Scoop out what remains of the Parmesan cheese rind and discard.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.
Photos by Renato Ghio
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