The Conservative Cave
Interests => All Things Edible (and how to prepare them) => Topic started by: BEG on April 10, 2012, 08:06:45 PM
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This recipe from a book by Chris Wallace's wife Lorraine. I made it tonight, it was one of the best soups I have ever made.
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Tortellini and Meatball Soup
MAKE AHEAD: The soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
8 to 10 servings
Ingredients:
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage **I used Johnsonville sweet Italian brats, cut the casing off.
2/3 cup fine plain breadcrumbs
Pinch plus 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
4 carrots, peeled and cut into quarters lengthwise, then cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices
6 cloves garlic, minced. **I used Jared garlic
8 cups (2 quarts) homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water. **I used more chicken broth and used no water
Two 9-ounce packages fresh four-cheese tortellini or cheese ravioli
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning blend
2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves **I used freeze dried basil. I use it all the time instead of fresh.
2 roasted red peppers (from a jar), drained and chopped
Freshly squeezed juice from 1/2 or 1 lemon (2 tablespoons) **I could taste the lemon juice "in a good way", I highly recommend squeezing your own.
6 cups loosely packed baby spinach leaves, washed and dried
Directions:
Combine the sausage and bread crumbs in a large bowl and add the pinches of salt and pepper; mix well. Use clean, damp hands to form meatballs about 3/4 inch in diameter.
Heat the oil in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots; cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Add the broth, water, the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and the black pepper to taste. Once the liquid begins to bubble at the edges, add the meatballs and cook for 6 minutes, adjusting the heat so the liquid barely bubbles. Add the pasta and Italian seasoning blend; cook for 4 minutes, then add the basil, roasted red peppers and lemon juice; cook for about 3 minutes or until the pasta is tender.
Gently stir in the spinach and remove from the heat. Cover and let stand for about 2 minutes or until the spinach is wilted but still bright green. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Ladle into individual bowls (preferably warmed ones); serve hot.
**I also added a little shredded Parmesan cheese and a pinch of basil in the meatballs.
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an ode to my vagina shaped tortellini
i planned that you were supposed to be lunch
and then out of my bowl you did so fall
i now no longer feared the urge to munch
you had more features than a barbie doll
wondering if others were shaped like you
spinach flavored tortellini with cheese
delicious pasta meant not to confuse
overtly sexual this much is true
you were packaged at the store meant to please
ate you anyway no sleep shall i lose
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an ode to my vagina shaped tortellini
i planned that you were supposed to be lunch
and then out of my bowl you did so fall
i now no longer feared the urge to munch
you had more features than a barbie doll
wondering if others were shaped like you
spinach flavored tortellini with cheese
delicious pasta meant not to confuse
overtly sexual this much is true
you were packaged at the store meant to please
ate you anyway no sleep shall i lose
CalPeg...is that you?
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CalPeg...is that you?
It might have been hers. I searched for tortellini and found that poem.
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I'll see your Tortellini Meatball Soup, and raise you with Italian Wedding soup.......
Ingredients:
Italian meatballs
Chicken breasts
Pasta
Diced Italian style tomatoes
Chopped spinach
Chicken broth
Dry Italian salad dressing mix
Italian Meatballs:
1.5 to 2 lbs ground chuck or better
Garlic
Onion/green onion/fresh chives (whichever or combo)
Breadcrumbs
3 to 4 Eggs
Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
Bring broth to a boil. Add chicken and cook 'till done.
Add tomatoes, spinach, dressing mix, meatballs,
and continue cooking at a simmer.
Prepare pasta separately al dente because it'll absorb
more broth after it's added to the soup.
Notes:
I start with 3 cans of chicken broth so I end up with
about 6 qts. of soup.
Cube the skinless, boneless chicken breasts about ½".
Form meatballs about marble size.
I fry mine and brown them a bit prior to putting them
into the soup to get rid of some of the grease, you can
also cook them by dropping them into the boiling soup.
Use the canned Italian style diced tomatoes with basil,
garlic, etc. Drain the tomatoes before adding to the soup.
Frozen chopped spinach works better than the canned
type.
I prefer the tiny Acini di Pepe pasta from DaVinci. It's at
the near end of the pasta aisle - when it's in stock. When
it's not, the Ditalini will work, but it's larger. Don't use the
more conventional pastas like macaroni...ugh!
Depending on how completely the pasta is cooked, you might have to
add more broth. I've considered dicing up some cooked cocktail size
shrimp instead of using chicken, but that's for another day.
As to proportions, you're on your own. After all, if proportions were
important, there'd only be one brand of BBQ sauce on store shelves.
How much of what goes in the pot when I make it depends on how
I feel that day.
Notice that the colors of the soup are the Italian national colors
of red (tomatoes), white (pasta), and green (spinach). If the colors
are equally balanced, you've "done good" as we used to say.
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I'll see your Tortellini Meatball Soup, and raise you with Italian Wedding soup.......
I am the queen of soups Marv. :p
We need an unbiased person to make both and name a winner. I have made Italian Wdding Soup (not the same recipe). I like it but this soup was better.
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I would compete with you over soups with my Navy Bean/ham but I don't have an exact recipe. I rock that soup!
Yours looks really good though.
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Oh wow that is ALMOST my recipe! Yum yum!
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Tortellini > Any other pasta, and many other foods out there. Italian Wedding is good stuff, but BEG wins. Hands down.
I need to hit the grocery store next month, and get these ingredients. Thanks, BEG.
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Tortellini > Any other pasta, and many other foods out there. Italian Wedding is good stuff, but BEG wins. Hands down.
I need to hit the grocery store next month, and get these ingredients. Thanks, BEG.
I won :yahoo:
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Oh wow that is ALMOST my recipe! Yum yum!
What is the difference in your recipe?
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OMG, that looks and sounds delicious!
I'm definitely bookmarking this one - thanks for sharing!
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For those of you who want to know how I made all of those meatballs the same size, I did it with this:
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/Foam_Kitty/25c004b3.jpg)
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I use an ice cream scoop to fill muffin tins too!
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What is the difference in your recipe?
I'll have to go pull it out. Right away, I can tell that mine is thicker, no greens, I use carrot cut into circles, diced tomatoes and beef broth. It's really more like a thick stew.
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Must.......not............
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Must.......not............
You need a new shtick . :-*
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You need a new shtick . :-*
His is worn out? *ducks*
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I won :yahoo:
I'll concede,...........this time (http://www.conservativecave.com/Smileys/default/happy.gif)
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OMG! that looks so good, and might be a nice soup to make in the crockpot.
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OMG! that looks so good, and might be a nice soup to make in the crockpot.
If you do it in the crockpot, don't add the tortellini and spinach until the end. You don't want to over cook it. Also, I highly recommend not leaving out the fire roasted peppers, I could taste them and they added a great flavor to the soup.
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OK, I got everything to make the Tortilini soup, will do so tomorrow.
After that I'll give the Wedding soup a go.
They both sounds great!
Ftots, a recipie for your Navy bean/ ham soup would be fantastic!
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OK, I got everything to make the Tortilini soup, will do so tomorrow.
After that I'll give the Wedding soup a go.
They both sounds great!
Ftots, a recipie for your Navy bean/ ham soup would be fantastic!
It is all in my head, but it goes something like this.
1 small sack of navy beans-soak overnight
In the am, dump the bag in a crockpot and add to it
celery, carrot,potato and onion chopped up. The more the better. (probably about a cup of each.)
Then, add a bunch of ham, chopped. Bacon too, if you want to get rid of some.
Dump in chicken broth if you have it, if not, water will do. Make sure to cover everything by about 2 inches or so.
Spices: I add fresh rosemary sprigs. I used to drop them right on top, but now I bend them up and put them in a cheesecloth bag. Garlic, a couple spoonfuls of the minced stuff. 2 or 3 bay leaves and ground pepper.
Cook forever, or 10 hours. I get my potato masher and mash it all up, or most of it, to get it really thick. If I messed up and have too much liquid, I will toss in some instant mashed potatoes as thickener.
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"It is all in my head, but it goes something like this..... "
Thank you very much!
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"It is all in my head, but it goes something like this..... "
Thank you very much!
I don't cook with precision, I was taught by my Grandmother, and everything was done by feel, smell, or taste, unless she was baking or preserving. I don't do either of those well. :rofl:
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Yummy! I did the Tortellini soup today. Very, very good tasting! Will make it again for sure.
Next time I will cut the onion and carrots a bit bigger, so the meatballs and tortellni do not over power them in my spoon.
I freeze alotta soups, did so with this one, will see how it does in the next week.
Great recipie BEG, thanks for sharing!
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Yummy! I did the Tortellini soup today. Very, very good tasting! Will make it again for sure.
Next time I will cut the onion and carrots a bit bigger, so the meatballs and tortellni do not over power them in my spoon.
I freeze alotta soups, did so with this one, will see how it does in the next week.
Great recipie BEG, thanks for sharing!
H5 for trying it. I think I will cut them a tad bigger next time too.