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

1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add the olive oil and saute the minced carrot, celery, onion, parsnip, and garlic until soft.
3. Add the chicken broth and the parmesan cheese rind. Bring to a boil.
4. Add the tortellini. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Reduce heat. Stir in the shredded spinach, dried sage, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Cook 2-3 minutes more, until the spinach is wilted and the tortellini are al dente.
7. Scoop out what remains of the Parmesan cheese rind and discard.
8. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

Yum

Photos by Renato Ghio