Tortellini Vegetable Soup

It's still soup season! I'm loving the warmth of soup right now, especially ones like this that are full of veggies & have a flavorful tomato based broth.

This soup came together so quickly. While it's simmering, you have time to make a salad & slice some bread for with it. It's filling & hearty, especially due to the tortellini, but yet light enough to not weigh you down.

We had some snow early this week, which was perfect soup weather, but now it's getting warm again. I hope we get a few more cold spurts before the end of winter. I want all the bugs to freeze & the germs to die so we have less colds & flu going around!

Plus, cold weather means more time for eating soup. :-)

 

Tortellini Vegetable Soup

Serves 4-6

1 onion, chopped

2 jalapenos, seeded & minced

6-8 white button mushrooms, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

14 oz. can of diced tomatoes

2 c. water

4 c. vegetable broth

16 oz. bag of frozen mixed vegetables*

1 T tomato paste

1/2 tsp. sea salt

12 oz. bag of frozen cheese tortellini

In a large pot, cook onions & jalapenos over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, stir, and then add tomatoes, water, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Add frozen vegetables and tomato paste. Simmer for about 20 minutes to allow flavors to develop. Add sea salt (taste first - the amount you need will depend on the saltiness of your tomatoes and broth). Stir in tortellini and cook for the length noted on the package directions (mine said cook for 3-5 minutes). Serve immediately.

Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator & reheated either on the stove or in the microwave.

*I used the Hanover brand of frozen vegetables for soup, which included peas, corn, potatoes, carrots, okra, rutabaga, green beans, lima beans, onions, & cabbage.

Buckwheat Pesto Salad

This stuff is delicious! It's my first experience with using buckwheat in a savory dish & I'll definitely be using it more in the future. Cooked whole buckwheat groats have a consistancy similar to rice, with the slight chew, & it has a nuttier of flavor.

I first discovered buckwheat groats through another blog I read, Edible Perspective. Ashley introduced me to Buckwheat Bakes (like this Zucchini Bread Buckwheat Bake) as a breakfast item & I really like them! They're very filling & last me through the morning without hunger pains.

When I started making the bakes, I needed to purchase raw buckwheat groats. They were not available in our local stores, so I bought a multi-pack box from Amazon.com. That was best price I found & I knew I'd use them all! The basis for this recipe was on the back of the Bob's Red Mill bag.

Buckwheat is a fairly uncommon food to cook with. It's a little misleading, because while it has "wheat" in the name, it's actually not wheat at all. It's gluten-free, in fact! Even though it's used like a grain, it's actually a seed. It's also high in protein, manganese, magnesium & fiber. Lots of healthy goodness here!

We'll be enjoying this alongside leftovers or with a big salad. I hope you try it!

Buckwheat Pesto Salad
Adapted from Bob's Red Mill
Serves 6-8

1 c Buckwheat Groats
2-1/2 c water
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 Batch Parsley Walnut Pesto
4 cloves garlic
1/4 c fresh basil
1/2 c chopped Walnuts
1 c freshley grated Parmesan cheese

 

In a medium saucpan, bring water and salt to a boil. Add buckwheat groats, cover, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from stove and leave covered for 5 minutes. Remove lid & fluff with fork.

 

In the meantime, make your parsley walnut pesto. Clean out the food processor and pulse the garlic cloves a few times to chop. Add basil & pulse again until it is chopped and mixed with the garlic.

 

Mix olive oil, parsley pesto, and the garlic-basil together. Stir this into the cooked buckwheat groats. Add walnuts and parmesan cheese. Salt to taste, if needed. Serve warm, or refrigerate in a sealed container & serve cold. It's great both ways!

Tasty Tidbits

We had a wonderful time finishing our vacation last weekend at the cabin. The snow was nice on Saturday & we went out for a ski. It had melted a bit by Sunday, so we hiked instead. We explored a new trail & crossed a bridge in danger of collapsing!

Then it was back to work, as usual. The week seemed to fly by, with catching up around the house, visiting with friends, & meetings at church.

Here's what we've been eating in the last week:

Breakfasts

• Strawberry yogurt with Almond, Cherry, & Millet Granola
• Whole Wheat Pancakes with blueberry jam
• Overnight oats
• Baked Oatmeal with Raisins
• Bananas & pb

Lunches

• Leftovers
• Sandwiches
• Tomato Vegetable Soup
• Corn tortillas with hummus & cucumbers
• Roasted cauliflower
• Apples, oranges & clementines

Dinners

Saturday:
Dinner at the cabin

• Spinach & Roasted Garlic Raviolis & Artichoke Raviolis with stir-fried onions, bell pepper, asparagus, & mushrooms - Mom & Dad bought these at a small store in Vermont. They are made fresh & they're really good! Lots of flavor!

Sunday: 

• Mega Salad - lettuce & spinach topped with broiled tofu, kiwi, roasted coconut, carrots, red onion, roasted butternut squash & feta

Monday:

• Stir-Fried Rice - brown rice with onions, bell peppers, carrots, green beans, lima beans, peas, & soy sauce
• Green Salad

Tuesday:
Dinner with friends

• Baked potato bar - baked potato topped with sauteed onions, garlic, fresh tomatoes, & pepper jack cheese

Wednesday:

• Tacos: Corn tortillas filled with pinto beans, guacamole, & salsa
• Green Salad

Thursday:  
Traditional choir night dinner at Mom & Pops'

• Jenna's Vegan Lentil Walnut Loaf - Very good, very filling!
• Baked sweet potatoes
• Sauteed brussels sprouts & onions
• Green Salad

Friday:

• Tortilla pizzas: Brown rice tortillas topped with tomato sauce, bbq sauce, onions, spinach, tofu & feta cheese
• Green Salad

Treats

• Mom's homemade nutroll
• Homemade Fig Newtons
• Trader Joe's Sipping Chocolate
• Angela's Mini Peanut Butter Cups in a Jar - Triple yum! These were super peanut buttery & delicious!
• Katie's Brownie Batter Frozen Yogurt - This required an ice cream maker (I used my KitchenAid attachment), but it's almost worth getting one just to make it! It had the tartness of yogurt plus dark chocolate flavor. Yum!