Tomato Soup with Tortellini & Kale
Author: this little italian
Recipe type: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: Serves 6
POUR SOME WINE AND BREAK OUT THE VINYL – THIS DISH TAKES ABOUT 15 MINUTES TO PREPARE AND TOTAL COOK TIME IS ABOUT 40 MINUTES.
Ingredients
- When I was a kid, the first cool chill in the air prompted my mom to make some homemade soup. We had all kinds, Italian wedding soup with delicious meatballs, minestrone, even Pasta E Fagioli. My mom loved soups and they went a long way in feeding a family of six, especially through the cold winters in Jersey. This tomato soup with Tortellini and kale is one of the last meals I prepared for my mom before she passed away. This recipe in particular is comfort food for me. It reminds me of the last few precious weeks we had together.
- INGREDIENTS
- • Olive Oil
- • 2 onions, diced
- • 4 cloves garlic, minced
- • 2 carrots, peeled cut into ½ thick disks
- • 2 stalks of celery, cut into ½ thick slices
- • 1 large fresh tomato, diced (Jersey tomato or beef steak is good!)
- • 1 28 oz can of crushed stewed or diced tomatoes
- • 4 cups of chicken broth or bone broth
- • 4 cups of fresh kale* rough chopped
- • ½ cup fresh parsley, rough chopped
- • 16 oz of fresh tortellini
- • 8 oz Mascarpone cheese
- • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- *The kale and parsley came from our garden. You may opt for what looks good in yours or at the farmer’s market or grocery store. Sometimes I use spinach instead of kale – but the kale holds up in this hot dish, whereas spinach is more delicate.
- SEASONING
- • Salt & Pepper plus these dried herbs:
- o 1 tbsp oregano
- o 1 tbsp parsley
- o 1 tbsp dill weed
- o 1 tbsp chives
- o ½ tbsp onion powder (not onion salt)
- o ½ tbsp smoked paprika
- *I love these flavors and use my palm as a measure = to 1 tbsp. I put them in a small dish and mix them up and use the mixture to season as I go.
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot (about 3 spins around the pot, medium heat.) Add the onions, garlic, carrots, celery, fresh tomato, cook for about 5 minutes. Season with ½ of the seasoning while stirring – don’t forget the salt & pepper!
- Add the canned tomatoes and chicken broth, turn up the heat and bring to a simmer about 10 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes.
- Add the rest of the dried seasoning.
- Add the mascarpone, stir until melted. The broth will achieve a silky richness – I love this, the texture of the broth is so beautiful and tasty too!
- Add the kale and parsley, stir
- Add ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese
- Add the fresh tortellini and cook to al dente (about 3-5 minutes). Taste the broth, now is the time to add a little more salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve in a soup bowl with fresh Parmesan to garnish.
Tomato Soup with Tortellini & Kale
