Italian Tortelli Soup

Since I am now actually able to stomach cooking again, I have been able to whip up dinner on the few nights that I don't have to work (although those nights are increasing now that the semester is winding down, woohoo!). While I typically try to plan out a menu for the week, lately I have been in the mood to just cook what I feel like eating at the end of the day. Luckily I love inventing new dishes and get a thrill out of making a meal out of the contents of my pantry or fridge, so I am able to put dinner on the table, get rid of leftovers, and have a creative outlet all at once! Last night's dinner was particularly yummy, so I thought I'd share. It isn't exactly a recipe...more of a "method" if you will!

Italian Tortellini Soup

In a big stock pot, combine:

• Chicken or vegetable stock (I make stock after roasting a chicken, so I always have baggies of frozen stock in the freezer. Just zap the baggie for a minute, break the icy stock into chunks, dump them in the pot and let 'er melt!)
• Canned tomatoes: I actually used leftover marinara sauce from making spaghetti squash a few days ago...it worked perfectly because it was already seasoned with onions, garlic, red wine, and oregano. You could use a jar of your favorite pasta sauce, canned diced tomatoes, canned crushed tomatoes, or canned whole tomatoes that you chop up yourself (just stick your kitchen shears in the can and go to town to save the mess of cutting them on a board!)
• Veggies and Greens: I had carrots and a lone zucchini on hand, as well as some kale from the farmer's market (I heart kale. Buy some today.). If I had not used the pasta sauce for my "tomato" component I would have added onion and garlic. You could substitue fresh spinach leaves for the kale, but just be sure that you leave the greens out and add them at the end of cooking, with the pasta.
• Canned Beans: I used a can of canellini beans, but garbanzos (chick peas) would also be a good choice.
• Frozen Tortellini or Mini Ravioli: Once the broth/tomato/veggie/bean mixture has come to a boil, toss in a bag of frozen tortellini and simmer until tortellini is tender.
• Cheese: We made homemade pizza on Sunday and I had a chunk of fresh mozzerella leftover. Spoon the soup into bowls, top with some cheese, and pop those suckers under the broiler until the cheese is all bubbly and melted, a la French Onion Soup.

While the soup was coming to a boil I mixed up some biscuit dough and added some finely chopped fresh rosemary and black pepper to make them a bit more savory. By the time they were out of the oven the soup was finished and we were ready to roll!

Soup is one of my favorite ways to use what I already have in the kitchen. It saves money and leaves you feeling like a culinary rockstar / pioneer woman!