Recipe #5: Tortellini Soup with Carrots & Leeks

Photo and recipe courtesy of finecooking.com

It was just one of those Mondays where I felt like we needed soup for dinner. After the weekend spent at Tremblant, however, our cupboards were bare, and so shopping was in order. Luckily I was able to pop into a Longo’s on my way home from work (I found a small one along the PATH just a bit out of my way). I stopped in to pick up a a few items for the week, including the ingredients to make this Tortellini Soup.

I was also looking for a soup recipe that had leeks in it, so when I stumbled across this one, I was excited to give it a try. Leeks have a very mild flavour to them and belong in the same family as onions and garlic. "The taste might be described as a mixture of mild onion and cucumber, with a fresh smell similar to scallionIn its raw state, the vegetable is crunchy and firm" (Wikipedia).  After using them in this recipe with much success, I’ve since used them to make a simple brown butter and garlic sauce to eat with our homemade gnocchi, and have already bought more to make another soup this week.  

The nice thing about this recipe, too, is that by buying the prepared pasta already, the prep time/work is very minimal; really all you have to do is brown the leeks, garlic and carrot, then boil everything together. And I was very happy that this made leftovers, which I enjoyed later that week at the office.

INGREDIENTS

2 medium leeks (12 oz. untrimmed)

1 Tbs. unsalted butter

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (about 1 Tbs.)

1/2 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced (2 Tbs.)

Salt and Pepper

1 box of low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 package of fresh or frozen cheese or beef tortellini

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano (or what you have on hand)

1 tsp of red pepper flakes (if desired)

DIRECTIONS

TRIM the roots and dark green leaves from the leeks. Slice the white and light green part in half lengthwise and then slice the halves thinly crosswise. Rinse well and drain.

MELT the butter in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, leeks, and carrot. Season with a couple pinches of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. (It’s fine if the vegetables brown lightly.) Stir in 1/4 tsp. pepper and red pepper flakes and cook for about 20 seconds, then add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Continue to simmer until the tortellini are cooked, 3 to 5 minutes.

SEASON to taste with salt and pepper. Portion the soup into warm bowls, top each with some of the cheese, and serve.

I believe the original recipe also included frozen peas, so if you're a fan, feel free to include.