Rustic Tortellini Soup

Add some rustic charm to your soup game this fall.

I'm not your average smooth tomato soup kind of girl. I crave a variety a flavors and textures. This hearty version of classic tortellini tomato soup is chock full of chicken, cheese tortellini, a buttery blend of mirepoix, and barely wilted spinach. It will seriously make you consider licking the bowl.

Chop the veggies together for the buttery mirepoix base. Haven't heard of mirepoix? No worries-- it's just a fancy term for celery, carrots, and onions chopped and sauteed in butter.

Stir in garlic and your favorite combination of fresh herbs. Then, add refrigerated marinara and wine for beautiful richness and depth of flavor. Pour warm chicken broth into the mixture until the soup reaches your preferred consistency.

Everything's better with wine.

I added roughly chopped pulled chicken to my soup because I happened to have some left over. Toss in chopped fresh spinach or kale. You could even add meatballs or sausage in place of chicken. Or skip meat altogether for a filling vegetarian soup. That's the beauty of this recipe: Make the base, then use ingredients that work best for your family.

Freeze individual portions for easy healthy lunches during the work/school week. Simply remove from the freezer the night before, refrigerate, then heat in the microwave until hot the next day. Makes a great thermos lunch or do-it-yourself dinner for the kiddos, too.

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Rustic Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 (12-ounce) package refrigerated cheese tortellini

• 1 ½ cups fresh marina sauce

• 1 cup shredded chicken, previously cooked (poached or baked)

• 4 cups (32 ounces) low sodium chicken or veggie broth (plus more, as needed)

• 1 cup white wine (use your favorite to drink)

• 1 (5-ounce) package spinach, roughly chopped (kale or Swiss chard)

• Parmesan cheese

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 large onion

• 2 large carrots

• 2 celery stalks

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary or another fresh herb, minced

• 1 heaping teaspoon fresh cilantro or another fresh herb

• Kosher salt to taste, about 1 teaspoon

• Freshly ground black pepper to taste, about ½ teaspoon

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (optional garnish)

• Shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese (optional garnish)

Directions:

Boil tortellini al dente according to package directions. Drain, drizzle with one tablespoon olive oil and set aside

Place carrots, onions, and celery into food processor and pulse until chopped

Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon olive oil in medium size pan on medium heat

Saute vegetable mixture until soft and fragrant, about 7-9 minutes

Add minced garlic and chopped herbs, stir frequently about 2 minutes

Season mixture with salt and pepper to taste

Reduce heat to medium-low

Add marinara and wine, stir constantly, about 5-7 minutes

Pour in 4 cups warm chicken broth

Gently add tortellini and chicken

Add more chicken broth as desired

Garnish with fresh basil and shaved Parmesan cheese