Vegetable Tortellini Soup

This soup is amazing. Seriously, jam packed with veggies and easy to make! I am blessed with kids  that love to eat their veggies. In fact, Munchkin would prefer vegetables over meat and even over candy! Peanut is still in the phase where she will eat ANYTHING you put in front of her. (I now know that this will mean NOTHING when she is 18 months-3 years old.)

Now the girls are great veggie eaters, Rand McNally… Not so much! Usually, when I ask him to chop up something for a soup it is soo tiny you can barely recognize what it is. Even HE liked this soup!

It was another Pinterest inspired recipe. Sorry Google, I am finding more things there and searching often!

If you are anything like me, you are probably still enjoying plates full of mashed potatoes and stuffing. However, in a few days when you are completely over those leftovers this is a quick and perfect meal for a family on these soon to be cold nights!

Vegetable Tortellini Soup

Adated from Family Fun

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 clove chopped garlic
• 1 small zucchini  diced (think  the size of an inch)
• 1 medium carrot peeled and diced
• 1 cup of chopped spinach
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon dried basil (more if fresh)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 8 to 9 ounces fresh or frozen tortellini (cheese or meat)
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (as desired)
• Black pepper, to taste

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a medium soup pot or the one I usually boil pasta in. Add the  garlic, onion, zucchini, and carrots. Saute over moderate heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is soft and translucent.

Add the stock, basil, bay leaf, spinach and tomatoes. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a low boil, reduce and simmer for about 15 minutes.  If you like super mushy veggies cook it for longer.

Add the tortellini and bring the soup back to a low boil. Cook it for 2 minutes, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for another 5 minutes longer. (Tortellini will float when they are cooked!)

This would be VERY tasty with some garlic bread. Like I said, we  all enjoyed this!