Zucchini-Tortellini Soup for Souper (Soup, Salad, & Sammie) Sundays

It's summer and I seem to be on a bit of a zucchini kick lately. Soup Night: Recipes for Creating Community Around a Pot of Soup, is a somewhat recent purchase from the used book store and the recipe for Zucchini-Tortellini Soup is what called to me first. A bit like a summery minestrone with the addition of fresh tortellini, it solves a pasta craving too.

I made a couple of changes to the recipe--mainly adding garlic and a few spices for more flavor. 

Zucchini-Tortellini Soup
Slightly Adapted from The Soup Club
(Serves 6)

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 leek, white part + a little of the green, trimmed and diced
2 thin-skinned potatoes, diced
(I added 3 garlic cloves, minced)
(I added 1/2 tsp each dried basil, oregano, celery seed)
2 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
8 cups vegetable broth
12 oz fresh or frozen cheese tortellini (I used Basil & Parmesan)
1 tbsp minced fresh basil, or basil pesto
Parmesan cheese for garnish, if desired

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, leek, and potatoes and saute just until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. (At this point I added the garlic and spices and sauteed for another few minutes.)

Add the tomatoes and the broth and simmer until the potatoes and carrots are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Cook the tortellini in a large pot of salted water, according to package directions. Remove when still al dente--don't overcook. Drain and set aside.

Add the zucchini to the soup and simmer until just crisp-tender. Stir in the tortellini.

Ladle into bowls and add the basil or pesto. Garnish with grated Parmesan if desired.

Notes/Results: A simple soup full of veggies and pasta goodness. I would recommend adding the garlic and spices like I did, otherwise it would be pretty mild in flavor but with them, it was a very tasty bowl of soup. I chose not to add cheese to the top of mine--trying to cut down on the dairy, but it would be delicious with it. I would happily make it again.

We have a few delicious dishes waiting this week in the Souper Sundays kitchen--let's have a look!

Debra of Eliot's Eats made this gorgeous Watermelon Fruit Salad with Mango, Blackberries and Basil and said, "This recipe is simple, fresh and delicious.   The slightly spicy mango works well with the milder watermelon and the berries just add a pop of brightness.   You could use mint in this dish if you prefer, but I am a basil freak and the herb worked well, especially with those mangoes." 

 
Tina of Squirrel Head Manor enjoyed a Gyros with Herb Roasted Potatoes and said, "This gyro was absolutely packed with lettuce, tomatoes, grilled onions, chicken and Taziki sauce.  For my side dish I chose the roasted new potatoes. The potatoes were so good we decided we had to duplicate them at home. A few nights later we did."

Simona of briciole made a Russian Mushroom and Egg Salad from a new cookbook and said, "One dish caught my attention immediately: Salat iz Yaits i Gribov (page 120-121). It uses mayonnaise (maionese), a condiment that has a special place in Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking and one I liked as a child, in part because I ate it rarely. Nowadays I make my own and can have it whenever I want. I halved the original recipe to make a smaller salad. I also changed some of the quantities because, while I like mayonnaise, I do so in moderation. Finally, I added a mix of baby spinach and arugula to the mushrooms, to create some flavor variety."

 

Finally here at Kahakai Kitchen, I made Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's simple, but delicious salad of Marinated Cucumber with Mint and served it with a piece of local mahimahi, dredged in curry. It was a quick-to-make dinner, perfect for a humid night.

Mahalo to everyone who joined in this week! 

Souper Sundays is back with a new format of a picture link each week where anyone interested can post their soups, salads, or sandwiches any time during the week and I post a recap of the entries the following week.)

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here. 

If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...

To join in this week's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

• Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you.

On your entry post (on your blog):

• Please mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and link back to this post.
• You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (optional).

An InLinkz Link-up

Have a happy, healthy week!