It Must Be Fall ( Veggie Tortellini Soup )

Ok, I know people have been saying it's fall for weeks now, but it's only really settled into fall for me. I think it's my urge to curl under quilts at night that is the real giveaway; or maybe it's that I've been pulling out my sweaters and long sleeves. Either way, there's one thing that's certain, Summer is officially over; which means it's time to make soups! I already posted the recipe for the fabulous Corn and Green Chili Chowder I made last week, and last night I made a wicked (if I do say so myself) veggie tortellini soup.


The bread I made to go along with it left a little something to be desired. OK I'll admit, it was dense. Like throw a slice and end up with a shattered window, dense. Either my yeast isn't working, or I'm doing something wrong. But watch out bread, I know I've failed in the past, but this time I am determined to conquer you. I might even sign up to take a class. I'm getting that desperate. But anyway, back to the soup...

I adapted this recipe from How to Cook Everything and the Williams Sonoma Pasta cookbook. Basically it involves everything I had in my kitchen last night. Here it is:

Veggie Tortellini Soup

8 cups vegetable brother (I made mine from scratch a few nights ago and got made fun of for not using the cubes. It tastes better, I promise)

1 fennel bulb
3 leeks
1 clove garlic
a couple of sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
corn cut from 2 ears
2 medium sized zucchini
2 Tbsp sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 bag Trader Joe's dried cheese Tortellini
Olive Oil
Salt, Pepper and Sugar to taste
Parmesan to garnish

Cook the pasta until just al dente, rinse, toss with a splash of olive oil and set aside.


rinse and chop leeks, Dice the fennel bulb (caveat - this was my first time working with fennel so I actually diced the bottom part of 3 big stems, so that I ended up with about the same amount of chopped leeks - anyone have any idea if that's what you're supposed to do with fennel?) and a few lacy sprigs. Saute in about 4 Tablespoons olive oil until they've softened. Make sure you're using your stock pot and not make my mistake of using a pot that's too small. Toss in the corn, garlic and zucchini and saute for a few more minutes. Add the sundried and diced tomato and broth. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and leave at a lively simmer for about 30 minutes.


Add the pasta and cook for a few minutes until warmed through. Season well.

Serve with a bit of Parmesan and bread. But not the bread I've baked. Not yet at least. Not until I defeat the bread recipes.

This recipe is very much Bryan-approved, especially if it goes along with watching Noir movies on the couch, which last night, it did.