Greetings, from 2016! Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, all that good stuff. Finn and I took a much-needed break from our blog and our day jobs over the last two weeks and HOLY COW did it ever fly by. Not fair!
So how was your New Years? Did you get up to anything special? Did you tie yourself to any resolutions?
I usually don’t make resolutions (opting to do them on my birthday instead, if at all) but this year I feel a little different. I have a list of goals (what I prefer to call them) that I’m hoping I can achieve over the next year. Some are personal, some are professional, and I won’t bore you with a list. I will mention the most important one, though: Be healthier.
*cue eye rolling at such a cliched resolution*
I know, I know. Be healthier. This is such a general term, one that literally everyone makes. When I was a gym regular, my least favourite month was January because the gym would be PACKED with new folks carrying out their exercise resolutions. (February usually quieted down quite a bit.)
My goal to “be healthier” is more of a blanket goal, covering all aspects of my life. Work on my posture. Eat more greens. Eat less sugar. Drink more water. Heal my foot (this 6 month injury has been really slowing me down). Go swimming until my foot heals. Get more fresh air. No screens before bed. Indulge in foot rubs every so often. Read more. Netflix less.
Wow. Writing it all down like that makes it seem IMMENSELY impossible. That’s a lot of goals to put under one blanket term. Maybe instead of “be healthier” I should just say “be better to yourself”. There. I like that. This year, I’m just going to be better to myself.
So how did you ring in the new year? I’ve never been a huge fan of New Years Eve. The star-lit glamour that movies portray the night to be is never really the case. Hollywood New Years involves slinky dresses and suits, fancy cocktails, bright lights and a romantic countdown. In real life, it’s usually just a small gathering of friends in stretchy pants, drinking cheap wine, watching the ball drop on TV. Still fun, but in a less glamourous way.
I was actually the designated driver this year, which suited me just fine. No cocktails, no wine, and no headache the next morning. It’s shocking, though, how many people couldn’t understand why I wasn’t drinking.
“You’re not drinking? It’s New Years! Are you a prude? You can’t even have one? Are you pregnant?”
Ugh. Is it that out of character for me NOT to have a drink? Maybe. I didn’t even really have a reason, other than I just didn’t feel like it. It’s easier for me to say no to the very first drink than it is to the third or fourth, and the idea of being able to drive home and curl into my own bed at a reasonable hour was pretty appealing.
Aaaand having just said that, I am now officially old. But I like it.
So, in lieu of “being better to yourself”, today’s post is a comforting, cozy, great-for-your-insides, stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal. This tortellini soup is surprisingly hearty for one with such a light and flavourful broth. Plus, it’s packed with veggies so it’ll stick to your ribs and fill you right up.
I made this soup a few times over the break, all with the intention of photographing it, but it was just too darn good. Matt and I ate it all straight away. It’s the kind of meal you go back for for seconds, or even thirds. And because it’s made with a light broth rather than a fattening cream sauce, it might just be my favourite way to eat tortellini. It’s healthy! It’s delicious! It’s cozy! I can’t rave about this enough.
Who invented tortellini soup? My to favourite, cozy things -pasta and soup -married into one insanely satisfying combination.
Feel free to improvise with this recipe. Don’t have green beans? Try peppers or broccoli instead. Use cheese tortellini, meaty tortellini, or add some hot sauce if that’s your thing. Toss in some leftover ham, even. As long as you have the base of this recipe – onions, garlic, broth and tortellini – you can customize it however you want.
Oh,and did I mention that it takes mere minutes to throw together? I didn’t call this 20-Minute Tortellini Soup for nothing. It literally takes 20 minutes. The hardest part is dicing up all the ingredients, but once that’s done, bam. Cozy soup, in your face.
Okay, I’m rambling now. I’ll leave it at that, before I say something even more embarrassing.
(But seriously, this soup is so good.)
| 20-Minute Tortellini Soup | | Print |
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced small
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice
- 2 ribs celery, cut into ¼-inch dice
- 2 cups green beans, chopped into ¼-inch pieces
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- 7 cups low-sodium stock (chicken, beef, or veggie stock)
- 400 g tortellini, any flavour you prefer
- Fresh Parmesan cheese, to serve (optional)
- Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Saute onions until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot, celery, and green beans. Season well with salt and pepper. Saute vegetables until softened, about 10 minutes.
- Add garlic, thyme, and bay leaves and cook for another 2-3 minutes until garlic is fragrant.
- Add the broth. Bring to a boil, then add tortellini and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes (or according to package instructions). Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
- Serve soup in bowls and garnish with Parmesan, if desired.
These photos are gorgeous, I love the lighting! The soup looks fantastic and sounds like a really delicious alternative to cream sauces indeed. My new year’s resolution is an even larger blanket than yours, it’s just “be better.” (Well, at least try…). 🙂
Thanks so much, Nicole! Hey, at least it’s easier to stick to our “blanket goals”! Less specific, so we have a bit of wiggle room 😉