Meatless Monday - Tortellini Soup

It's a double post Monday! If you haven't already, take a tour of my town, and then head on over to Mahem & Moxie to tour the rest of the West. Check back with them every day this week to complete your virtual road trip across the U.S.

And now...a little Meatless Monday goodness! It's fall here already complete with falling leaves and cooler temperatures. What's better to warm a body on a cold ay than soup? Last year I made a tortellini soup that my kids loved. Cheese stuffed noodles floating in a tomato soup and topped with more cheese...what's not to love? Best of all, it's super easy to make.

After that big lead in, I have a confession. My kids did not like this soup the second time around! Darn fickle kids. I left the soup chunky this time (a mistake and kind of my husband's request). Next time, I'll puree the soup before adding the beans and tortellini and hope that they like it more. For the record, the adults of the house thought that this soup was fantastic.

Tomato Bean Tortellini Soup

1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 - 14.5 oz cans of chicken broth (I actually used homemade stock instead, but you could also use vegetable broth for a truly meatless meal)
1 - 8 oz can of tomato sauce
1 lb fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1 can white kidney beans or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
about 2 1/2 cups cheese tortellini
1/3 cup shredded parmesan or asiago cheese

In a stockpot, saute onion and garlic in a little olive oil until tender. Add the chicken broth, tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes, basil, vinegar, and salt to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25 min.

Leave chunky or if you prefer a smooth soup, insert an immersion blender to puree. (You could also pour the soup in a blender to puree it and then transfer back to the stock pot.)

Add the tortellini and beans to the soup. Bring to a boil until tortellini is cooked, about 3 min or until the tortellini starts to float.

Top with cheese and enjoy!

No picture today. I realized that I should have taken one after we demolished our pot of soup. So good!