15 Minute Tomato Basil Soup with Cheese Tortellini

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Tomato Basil Soup with Cheese Tortellini cooks in just 15 minutes, making it ideal for busy, blustery fall and winter nights.

Happy Monday, I hope you had a beautiful fall weekend! My Mom and I were up before the sun on Saturday morning to take our annual trip to the Mall of America – whee!

It was nerve-wracking taking my first overnight trip away from Lincoln, but after reassurance from both Ben and my Mom that all would be well, we decided our tradition should not be broken and off we went. (Necklace is from Nordstrom’s last year, ICYWW!)

It was actually the perfect weekend to go. Christmas decorations usually bring the crowds, which weren’t up yet, so the mall wasn’t nearly the zoo it will become in the next few weeks and months. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for Chipotle. We waited in line for at least 30 minutes for lunch! #worthit

After spending six hours at the mall – three hours on the first floor alone – plus another hour at IKEA, we cheers’d to a successful day of shopping with an Angry Orchard Hard Cider and dinner at Friday’s, our traditional dinner stop. (I KNOW.) Anyway, I am just loving hard apple cider these days. It’s quickly become one of my favorite fall treats.

Another treat? Having one of my besties, Laura, who lives nearby join us for dessert!

Oreo Madness, of course! We spooned up bites of lusciousness while reminiscing about the times we’d EACH order an Oreo Madness for dessert back in high school. Ah, youth.

Daylight savings time allowed us to get up an hour earlier and feel no worse for wear, so we were back home and in the arms of our winter hat-clad men by noon. Hallelujah!

Speaking of daylight savings time, now that the sun’s going down before the 5:00 news even comes on, I’m on the hunt for especially quick and easy recipes. I don’t know…when it’s cold and dark out, all I want to do is curl up on the couch in the evenings, not spend a lot of time in the kitchen. That’s why I’m really excited about this recipe for 15 minute Tomato Basil Soup with Cheese Tortellini.

Savory, short-cut tomato broth is brightened with lots of fresh basil, and chewy, cheese tortellini. So ridiculously easy and even more delicious. Best of all, it cooks in under 15 minutes.

If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time then you know I hate traditional tomato soup. You know, the canned and condensed kind? Won’t touch it with a 10 foot pole. This soup, though? I am all over it. You’ve got to give it a try!

Start by sauteing 1 large shallot and 3 garlic cloves in 2 Tablespoons butter until tender. Don’t skip the butter as it gives the soup an amazing richness. You could also use a small onion in place of the shallot. I tend to use shallots because they’re milder than onions which hurt Ben’s stomach!

Next add 48oz chicken broth…

And 24oz REALLY GOOD marinara sauce. This is the secret ingredient to get amazing flavor in just 15 minutes! Marinara sauce already has all the veggies and spices slow cooked with tomatoes, which makes each spoonful taste like it was slow cooked all day.

Now, I would not recommend using Prego or Ragu in here, rather, try and find a really high-quality jar of marinara sauce. Locals – I have to give it up to Ginos!

Add 3/4 cup fresh basil that’s been chopped (about a 3/4oz clamshell) then bring the soup to a boil.

Finally, carefully drop in 16oz fresh or frozen cheese tortellini or mini ravioli then place a lid on top, turn the soup down to medium, and then simmer until the tortellini are tender.

One the tortellini are tender, scoop and serve!

Tomato Basil Soup with Cheese Tortellini

Serves 6 (easily halved or doubled)

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 large shallot or 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• salt and pepper
• 48oz chicken broth*
• 24oz good-quality marinara sauce
• 3/4 cup fresh basil, chopped (3/4oz package basil)
• 16oz fresh or frozen cheese tortellini (could also use mini ravioli)

Directions:

Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add shallots (or onions) then season with salt and pepper and saute until tender, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic then saute for 30 more seconds. Add chicken broth, marinara sauce, and fresh basil then turn heat to high and bring to a boil.

Carefully add tortellini to boiling soup then place a lid on top, turn heat down to medium, and then cook until tender. Serve with crostini.

*May need more chicken broth if re-heating as tortellini will absorb some of the broth as the soup cools.

I’m telling you – crostini are crucial for sopping up all that yummy, savory broth. Plus they take just 5-7 minutes to bake. Perfect!

Enjoy!