Time for another recipe which includes some garden greens. I made this soup today and a few people requested the recipe. So, thought I would just turn it into my next blog.
The greens are my Swiss Chard and Giant Red Indian Mustard. I can't help but be so grateful that these greens are up and giving me so many leaves to cook with this Spring.
I am a lazy Spring gardener. My garden beds aren't turned over yet and nothing is planted except for some nice cutting lettuces and extremely small parsley plants. Good gardeners take advantage of this weather and can be already harvesting lots of food. But no worries, looks like these plants came to the rescue and giving me more than enough for soups and recipes.
 |
| Swiss Chard |
Okay, so on with the recipe. I would say this recipe is a mix of Minestrone and Chicken Tortelloni Soups. I've gathered my ingredients below and promptly peeled, chopped and julienned all the corresponding vegetables. All that's missing from the picture is some great homemade or quality chicken broth and whatever meat (if using) you plan to prepare.
Tomato Basil Tortelloni Soup
1 large can of tomatoes, stewed and blended or puree
2 -3quarts of home made or quality chicken stock, low sodium
1-2 cans of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 lb of ground Italian sausage, (turkey, beef or skip if making a vegetarian soup) browned, crumbled and drained
1 onion, diced
1-3 cloves of garlic, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
1-2 cups of greens, julienned into small ribbons or whole if using spinach (Kale, Swiss Chard, Mustard, Collards)
1 small zuchinni, sliced and diced
1 tbsp of Italian seasoning or basil
8 oz. of quality tortelloni, any flavor
1/2 tsp of freshly cracked pepper
Salt to taste
After meat is browned and crumbled, add diced onions and garlic and saute until onions are translucent, making sure the garlic doesn't burn. Add your 2 quarts of broth and tomato sauce, or puree. Bring to a boil and add your carrots, and diced zuchinni. Let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes until the carrots are soft. Bring back to a boil and add your julienned greens, beans, Italian seasoning, pepper and tortelloni. Cook tortelloni according to the directions on the package. Mine was a four cheese variety. Add your extra quart of broth if the soup is too dense. It's all up to your own personal preference. Once cooked, season with salt to taste! You can also add more Basil or seasonings if you would like. We like lots, so feel free to change the quantities to suit your own flavor profile.
I also fill in soup with any vegetables I may have on hand. You can add chopped celery, green beans, yellow squash or whatever you have on hand if the soup is not thick enough.
Serve this soup with your favorite grilled cheese or panini sandwich and whal-la! You're in business! The tortelloni really swell up and start to fall apart. So, this soup is probably best the day you make it. Hope you like it! We all did...and that's what counts! Be blessed!
 |
| A pocket full of posies; violets found alongside the road while on my walk after lunch. |
Right next to the place where I have a clothesline (free solar power!), I have an herb bed and one of the plants in it are my sage plants. A hardy perennial, I've had these dependable plants for over 15 years. So, considering their age, I was surprised to see how lush they were for early October. Seeing this, I knew I needed to bring some in to dry. To be honest, I'm not very good about saving sage for winter use. I am spoiled by its lush leaves and cold temp. hardiness and forget to put some by. Plus, I often will have useable sage leaves almost into Thanksgiving as it can withstand even some snow. So, it's a great long season herb an indispensable for the home landscape. I actually plant it for its flowers as well as for its use as an herb. (The sage flowers are also edible as well. You can use them to garnish salads or any dish for that matter. They only bloom in the late spring.) 
