Tortellini Soup

For April's post I'm sharing another one of our family's favorite recipes. I put together a collection of family favorite recipes for my youngest daughter, Aubree, that her sister then turned into a little cookbook for her for Christmas. This is her favorite soup that I make so it was included in the book and now I'm sharing it here. As with the majority of my recipes it's full of fresh veggies and can be changed up easily depending what's available.  I don't generally add meat to this but cooked chicken could be added if desired. Originally I cut the recipe out of a magazine and taped in into my soup cookbook but have changed it up over the years, mostly adding more vegetables. The original recipe only called for 1 bag of frozen tortellini but we find 2 works better for us especially since no meat is added. I've also found fresh tortellini instead of frozen which cooks up really quickly. Here's the recipe:

Tortellini Soup

 1 T olive oil plus 3 T butter

3 to 4 stalks celery, chopped

3 to 4 carrots, chopped

1 onion chopped

1 clove minced garlic, or 1 T garlic powder

1/2 c sweet peppers, chopped

2 T sofrito

2 jars broth (can use chicken or veggie) plus 1 to 2 c water

chopped tomatoes or 1 can

1 T parsley

1 t each seasoned salt and pepper

1 t oregano (can add more Italian seasoning if desired)

1 t onion powder

1 can great northern beans, liquid included

2 to 3 cups fresh spinach, can also add kale

2 pkgs 9 oz frozen cheese tortellini

parmesan cheese

or any additional chopped vegetables if desired

Heat oil, butter and sofrito in large pot and cook vegetables until

tender, adding a little water.  Add broth, water, seasonings, beans,

and tomatoes.  Cook for 20 to 30 minutes, then bring to boil and add

spinach and tortellini.  Cook for 5 to 10 minutes until done, add

parmesan cheese before serving.

Enjoy,

Bamah