Cherry Tomato & Tortellini Soup

My husband is always willing to try a new tomato soup recipe. He was even more excited when I told him that this recipe has cheese tortellini in it!

I really like the technique of forming the tomato sauce base in this recipe. You begin by heating some oil in a large pot with a lid, add the cherry tomatoes, cover, and shake occasionally until the tomatoes pop open. It really reminds me of cooking popcorn! The sauce is further flavored with minced garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes. Then you add chicken (or vegetable) stock, bring to a boil, and cook the tortellini. I accidentally grabbed pasta that was shaped like little purses, so it really doesn't matter what shape you go with.

The flavor of the soup is very light and pleasantly tomato-y. I garnished the soup with sliced scallions, basil, and strips of Parmesan cheese. It was even better with hunks of homemade bread!

LESSON LEARNED: Adding a little spice really adds depth to the flavor in this simple soup.

Recipe for Cherry Tomato & Tortellini Soup

Mac & Cheese Soup

My husband LOVES mac and cheese. I think I could make just about any type of mac & cheese and he would happily eat it. We discovered this recipe in a food magazine last year and we've made it 4 or 5 times. This is a lot in our house because we try new recipes for almost every meal. I do a majority of the cooking, but he has made this by himself about half the times we've had it. That's how much he loves this recipe! Personally, I could take or leave mac & cheese, so he usually makes this when I don't feel like eating much for dinner.

The base of this recipe has much of the same components of a soup (sauteing onion, carrot, celery & adding chicken broth) and some components of a traditional mac & cheese recipe (milk, cheese, and macaroni). The soup isn't as dense as typical mac & cheese and it has a lighter, fresher flavor from the added vegetables. I would almost dare to say this is healthier since there is less pasta and milk compared to a traditional mac & cheese!

To add extra flavor, I chopped up some roasted tomatoes for my bowl.

LESSON LEARNED: As you make the soup, make sure you taste the soup for salt. It can go from being bland to overly salted pretty fast. One time when my husband was making this soup by himself, he asked for my opinion for flavoring and I was a little heavy-handed with the salt. Opps!

Recipe for Mac & Cheese Soup

Butternut Squash Apple Soup

I decided to make this soup after I saw a version of it in my local supermarket. I almost bought the soup, but I turned around the packaging and saw it had a crazy amount of sodium in it. I thought I could surely make a less salty version if I controlled the quality of ingredients.

I first sauteed an onion in some butter, added in flour, and de-glazed the pan with white wine. Next, I added homemade chicken stock and chopped butternut squash and apple and let the soup cook for half an hour. I then pureed the soup in a blender and added a touch of cream. To garnish the soup I used homemade croutons and chopped chives.

The soup was thick and creamy with tons of flavor from the squash and apple. It would be perfect for a cold winter day!

LESSON LEARNED: When you make a dish at home you can control the amount of sodium in it.

Recipe for Butternut Squash Apple Soup