Tuscan kale and tortellini soup

A perfect, hearty soup for the colder season! This is a people-pleaser as far as soups go, it’s a lot more filling than your standard tomato soup and with only a handful of ingredients and a few simple steps, it makes for a good mid-week meal too. As always, serve with a nice chunk of artisan bread, or enjoy as a side dish to your main meal.

Serves: 4 | Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
1 medium brown onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, diced
½ tsp salt salt, plus more to taste
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Ground black pepper to taste
1 large can diced tomatoes (28 oz/794g)
3½ cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pack of cheese tortellini 
3-5 stalks Tuscan kale

Method:

• Dice the onion, and carrots and mince the garlic

• In a large pot, heat the olive oil to medium heat and sauté the onions and carrots until fragrant (1-3 minutes)

• Add the garlic and sauté for another minute

• Add the tomatoes, thyme, vinegar, herbs and spices. Then cover and allow to simmer for 30 minutes or until the carrots are tender

• In the last few minutes, cook the tortellini in a separate pot according to the package directions until al dente.

• De-stem the kale and tear the leaves. Add the tortellini and the kale to the soup and simmer for 2 more minutes.

• Season to taste with salt and pepper as needed and serve with fresh parsley