Mom’s Cheese Tortellini Soup

Name: Mom’s Cheese Tortellini Soup
Yield: 6 - 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 tbsp (15 mL) butter; 1 onion diced; 2 stalks celery halved lengthwise and sliced; 2 carrots; 1 bay leaf; 2 cups (500 mL) low sodium vegetable broth; 1 cup (250 mL) water; 12 oz (350 g) refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini; 2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour; 2 1/2 cups (625 mL) Milk; 1 cup (250 mL) frozen peas; Salt and pepper to taste; 3 tbsp (45 mL) fresh basil chopped; Grated Canadian Parmesan cheese optional

Kids love cheese tortellini – combine with staple vegetables and milk for a creamy, easy to prepare main meal soup. Serve with whole grain crackers.

Prep: 5 min - 10 min
Cooking: 20 min - 23 min

Yields 6 - 8 servings

Ingredients

1 tbsp (15 mL) butter
1 onion diced
2 stalks celery halved lengthwise and sliced
2 carrots
1 bay leaf
2 cups (500 mL) low sodium vegetable broth
1 cup (250 mL) water
12 oz (350 g) refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini
2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups (625 mL) Milk
1 cup (250 mL) frozen peas
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp (45 mL) fresh basil chopped
Grated Canadian Parmesan cheese optional

READY FOR REWARDS?

Preparation

In a large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, carrots and bay leaf; sauté for 5 min or until onions are softened. Stir in broth and water; cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in tortellini. Reduce the heat to medium; cover and simmer for about 4 min or until tortellini starts to soften, stirring often.

Whisk flour into milk and add to pot, along with the peas. Increase heat to medium-high, cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring often, for about 5 min or until soup is slightly thickened and vegetables and tortellini are tender. Remove and discard bay leaf; season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in fresh basil. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle each serving with Canadian Parmesan cheese (if using).

Tips

Tip for Kids: Kids can help to measure the liquids in the recipe. Teach them to use a liquid measuring cup. Pour the liquid into the cup; then make sure they are at eye level with the measuring marks. The liquid should be right at the mark.

Cooking Tip: The soup will thicken upon standing. To reheat, simply stir in more milk as needed. Or, serve the thickened soup as a saucy side dish of pasta, sprinkled with freshly grated Canadian Parmesan cheese.

Tip for Adventurous. Add 8 oz (250 g) of cooked shrimp during the last 2 min of cooking and replace the basil with 1 tbsp (15 ml) of chopped fresh dill.