Tomato Basil Tortellini Soup
When my family first tried this soup, they all had to have seconds! Sometimes I include cooked, crumbled bacon and serve it with mozzarella cheese.
—Christina Addison, Blanchester, OH
Prep: 25 min. • Cook: 6 ¼ hours • Makes: 18 servings
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cans (28 oz. each) crushed tomatoes, undrained
- 1 carton (32 oz.) vegetable broth
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 pkg. (9 oz. each) refrigerated cheese tortellini
- ¾ cup half-and-half cream
- Shredded Parmesan cheese Minced fresh basil
- 1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrots; cook and stir until crisp-tender, 5-6 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.
- 2. Transfer to a 6- or 7-qt. slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, broth, sugar, basil and bay leaf. Cook, covered, on low until vegetables are tender, 6-7 hours.
- 3. Stir in the tortellini. Cook, covered, on high for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to low; stir in cream until heated through. Discard bay leaf. Serve with Parmesan cheese and basil.
Freeze option: Before stirring in half-and-half, cool soup and freeze in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in a refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally; add the half-and-half as directed.
1 cup: 214 cal., 7g fat (3g sat. fat), 23mg chol., 569mg sod., 32g carb. (9g sugars, 4g fiber), 9g pro. Diabetic exchanges: 2 starch, 1 fat.
TIP
If you’re cooking for a smaller group, make just a third of the recipe in a small slow cooker and decrease the cooking time slightly.
