creamy vegetable tortellini soup

the weather has been all over the place lately.  some days have been so cold that i feel like my face is going to fall off as soon as i step outside, and then other days have been so lovely and warm that people are walking around without jackets.  what is going on, mother nature?!

on the cold days in february, we crave warm meals.  recently we made a batch of this soup when it was particularly cold outside.  we made enough so that we could have it all week for lunches at work.  it was so nice to have something to look forward to all morning at work, knowing that the soup would warm us from the inside out when our offices were so bitter cold.

this soup is packed full of goodness.  it has lots of veggies like onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes, and spinach for nutrients, and it's flavored with garlic, oregano, basil, and rosemary.  the tortellini give it something special, and the cream makes it decadently creamy.  this is the perfect cold-weather soup!

creamy vegetable tortellini soup
prep time: 10-15 minutes
cooking time: 40-45 minutes
yields: 8 servings

ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small spanish onion, diced
6 large carrots, peeled and chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
32 oz. low-sodium vegetable stock
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
5 oz. cheese tortellini
3 tablespoons heavy cream

directions:
in a large soup pot, over medium heat, warm the olive oil.  saute the onion, carrots, and celery until tender.  add the garlic, oregano, basil, and rosemary.  cook for 1-2 minutes.  add the crushed tomatoes and vegetable stock.  stir well.  simmer for 25-30 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.  add the spinach and tortellini and cook for 4-6 minutes until the tortellini are tender and fully cooked.  stir in the heavy cream.  serve warm.

enjoy!

love, laurie