This past weekend, Lleyton and I enjoyed four days together just the two of us. Kevin flew to Atlanta for his brother’s surprise 40th birthday party and took Easton with him. At 14 months old, Easton still flies for free and since he had never been to Atlanta it was a great opportunity for him to meet family. Lleyton and I did something fun every day. We packed a lunch and spent a day at the zoo, stopping for ice cream before going home. We met some of my girlfriends for brunch in Seattle and explored a nearby park. And we went to one of our favorite children’s museums where he played for hours.
The day that we went to the zoo was about 32 degrees. Lleyton had a blast running around and looking at the animals (his favorites were the walruses and the wolves), but by the time we got home I knew I needed to make something for us to thaw out. I rummaged through my refrigerator and pantry for the ingredients to put something delicious together, and it turned out so well that I knew I had to share it here.
Since I meal plan and try to go to the grocery store once a week, there generally isn’t anything extra around in our refrigerator that isn’t earmarked for a meal, but there are exceptions. Parmesan cheese is a refrigerator staple, as is fresh spinach. I always have homemade chicken broth in the freezer, canned tomatoes in the pantry (both store-bought and home-canned). I confess that tortellini isn’t something we always have on hand BUT I do by some every time we go to Trader Joe’s because it’s so darn inexpensive!
Anyways, let’s talk about this soup! It uses an entire 10 oz. bag of spinach, so you know you’re getting your iron, folate, magnesium, vitamins A and C and SO much more. The broth is creamy and cheesy, but since I also used homemade bone broth it’s full of collagen and protein. And cheese tortellini just makes everything better. Lleyton was adorable eating his “tortellinis” for dinner. It’s so filling and comforting, and it’s meatless, making it perfect for your meatless Monday or Friday dinner during Lent. Serve this with a hunk of crusty bread and you have dinner on the table in 30 minutes!
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1 15 oz. can tomatoes
- 4-5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 3 cups milk
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp. salt + more to taste
- ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
- ½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 16 oz. cheese tortellini
- 10 oz. fresh spinach
- Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add onion, garlic, and celery and cook for a few minutes until tender.
- Add flour and stir to combine.
- Add tomatoes, broth, milk, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a simmer.
- Stir in parmesan cheese and add tortellini. Simmer until tender.
- Stir in spinach by the handful until tender and wilted.
- Taste and add more salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve topped with additional parmesan cheese, if desired.
- Enjoy!
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