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Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

By on February 4, 2014
tortellini soup

By Julie of By The Recipe.

I’ve been told that I am intuitive.  The kind that senses things will happen before they happen.  The kind that makes me decide to trust or distrust within the first few minutes of meeting someone.

I can randomly think of my best friend, and the phone will ring and it will be her.  I know, you’re saying ‘ya, whatever. If you think of someone often enough, it is likely to coincide with a phone ringing’.  It doesn’t work that way.

I sensed yesterday that today was going to be a gong show.   I’ve just gotten over the “mother” of all colds.  Huge sinus pressure.  Lots of nose blowing, leading to a very red nose, chapped dry skin.  Very tired.  No energy.  All leading to spending three days in bed, watching two seasons of Call The Midwife, recovering.

Yesterday, my little man, sneezing, coughing, stuffy.  When he went to bed, I actually suggested that maybe he should stay home from school.  Most days that would put me into a tail spin.  When I said it to him, I felt a sense of calm come over me.

This is what this morning should have looked like:

  • 6am wake up
  • 6:15 wake up little girl person
  • make lunch for little girl person
  • organize my own backpack (ipod, spinning shoes, cycling shorts)
  • 7am, driving little girl person to school for badminton practice
  • 7:15am home, take dog out
  • 7:35 if little man was going to school, take him to school for early morning program
  • 7:45 drive to gym
  • 8:00am (if I was lucky and found a close parking spot) start teaching my class

Now it isn’t always like this.  When Beloved is home, he helps out immensely.  He would get the badminton player to school, take care of the dog, and even the little man.

This was my reality this morning, all the while, I was thankful that I did not have to get my little man to school.

  • 6am wake up
  • 6:05, go to computer and try to open iTunes.

Access denied.  I don’t even remember what the exact message was.  Panic.  As a fitness instructor my music is everything.  Thankfully I have my music backed up with iMatch.  Breathe.

  • 6:15 wake up little girl person
  • 6:20 make her lunch
  • 6:30 say goodbye to Beloved as he leaves for his business trip
  • 6:35 the dog throws up

Our dog.  We love him.  He’s completely neurotic.  Often when Beloved is away, the dog throws up.  He’s a worrier.  The dog that is.

  • 6:36, clean up mess
  • 6:37, try to see if I can do a quick fix of iTunes.  Nope.
  • 6:40, thankful that all music is backed up on iMatch, create playlist on my iPad.  Also thankful that I print out my playlists, giving me something to work with.
  • 6:45, pack bag, get changed, brush teeth.
  • 7:00am, drive badminton player to school
  • 7:15 arrive home
  • 7:20, get little man out of bed.  No he’s not going to school, but he has to help me take the dog out.

Did I mention that the dog had his ACL repaired last week?  Oh, and he’s wearing a full length cast.  We live on the second floor of a duplex.  I might not have mentioned that he is a 90lb yellow lab.

Image

Taking him out is a two person job.  I carry his hips with a blanket.  Little man guides him down the stairs.

We timed it last week, it takes us 10 minutes when all is said and done.

Thankfully, I didn’t have to get my little man to school.  That would have added enough stress to put me over the edge. Almost like the week where an open bag of frozen corn kernels sitting on the counter, tipped over and spilled on the floor, followed by me dropping a 4 liter container of homemade chicken broth.

After I teach my class I get a text from Beloved.  All flights to NYC are cancelled.  They are driving.  Not so bad being stuck at home with my little man.  In fact I am thankful that Beloved works so hard so that I am able to.

 

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

I love soups.  This is a new one for me, but will make it into the rotation on a pretty regular basis.  It’s easy.  Very easy.  Inspired by a recipe I found it on pinterest, this is my version.  I’ve added onions instead of onion powder, and replaced sun dried tomatoes with diced tomatoes. The addition of bacon means that my little girl person will eat it. She will eat anything with bacon.

2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 10¾ oz cans of condensed tomato soup
1 cup diced tomatoes, canned or fresh
1/2 cup of cooked bacon pieces, or more, or less, depending on how much you love bacon
2 cups Half-and-half
2 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp dried basil
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Pepper
1 package of fresh cheese filled tortellini
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese, as desired

If you have time (30 minutes or so), it is worth caramelizing the onions.  To do so, heat your frying pan on medium heat, add a big dollop of butter and the onions.  Slowly cook them until they turn a nice caramel colour.  Don’t rush it.

If you don’t have time, saute onions with the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat until they soften. Add garlic and continue to sauté until the garlic turns brown.Be sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t get too brown or burnt.

Add cooked bacon. Stir.

Add tomato soup, tomatoes, half and half, chicken stock and seasoning. Bring to a simmer.

Once simmering, drop tortellini into the soup. Cook according to the package directions.

After tortellini are cooked, ladle soup into bowls and top with parmesan cheese.

The soup photo above is from the same site where I was inspired by the recipe.

 

Julie of By The Recipe says this about her food writing:

I’m not sure which came first: my sweet tooth, or my desire to bake.  Before I was a wife and a mother, I was a baker.  I love to bake.

Before kids, I wasn’t much of a cook. After kids, my cooking abilities improved, I guess because I needed to feed my family. Over the years I have come to enjoy cooking, almost as much as baking.  But let’s be honest, the best part of baking and cooking are the accolades of a great mouthful of food. That inspires me.

When I cook, I cook by the recipe. Almost always.

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