But there’s yet another ingredient in this soup that bumps it up a notch or three, and maybe will even make it your favorite soup of all time. What is it? What is it? Okay, okay, stop jumping up and down, I’ll tell you:  cheese tortellini.

Have you ever heard of such a thing? Tortellini in a BEAN soup? Well, yeah…give it a try. I promise you are going to get addicted to this beyond-belief soup! They really give you something to sink your teeth into when you eat this profoundly delicious soup. But they are delicate creatures, so see the Quick Tip for specific cooking instructions.

 

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ large onion, chopped

2 carrots, thinly sliced

2 stalks celery, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup flour

6 cups low sodium chicken broth, divided

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 cups cooked and cubed ham

1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and rained

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon chicken bouillon

1 teaspoon dried parsley (or 1 tablespoon fresh)

½ tsp EACH dried oregano, dried thyme, ground cumin

¼ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

4 cups (1 pound) uncooked refrigerated cheese tortellini

2-3 cups half and half (full-fat – see Quick Tip)

Garnish (optional)

Fresh parsley

Parmesan cheese

 

INSTRUCTIONS

Melt butter in olive oil in Dutch oven/large soup pot over medium high heat. Add onions and sauté for 2 minutes. Add carrots and celery and cook, while stirring, for 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Sprinkle in flour then cook, stirring constantly for 3 minutes (it will be thick).

Turn heat to low and gradually stir in 5½ cups chicken broth. Whisk 2 tablespoons cornstarch with remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth and add to soup. Stir in ham, beans, Dijon mustard, bay leaves, bouillon and all remaining herbs and spices.

Bring to a boil; cover, and reduce to a gentle simmer for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add tortellini and boil for 1-2 minutes or until cooked al dente.

Stir in half and half, adding additional half and half or broth if desired for a less “chunky” soup and warm through.

Garnish individual servings with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese if desired.

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Quick Tip:  Be extremely careful not to overcook the tortellini. They really only take 1-2 minutes to cook. If you cook them any longer, they will burst open and lose their filling.

Recipe and image courtesy of Jen at Carlsbad Cravings