Chickpea Tortellini Soup

(Is this really my first food post?! On a Blog called 'Whining and Dining' this is an issue.... I always have good intentions to do food blogs, but get so distracted by my own hunger that I forget to take pictures!! I'll try to be better! Scout's honor.)

Anywho!... a warm bowl of soup is just what I love on those 'chill you to the bone' cold wintry days.

I had a version of this soup once during a hospital rotation and it was unforgettable.  Chickpea Tortellini. And it was delicious. Those were 2 ingredients I had never had together! 

After surfing the internet for a few days I found a couple of interesting recipes that I used for inspiration for my own version. 

Chickpea Tortellini Soup
(Vegetarian Friendly!)

Serves: 10 to 12, 1 cup servings
Garnish (optional): Sprinkle Cheese, Green Onion or complimentary herbs

Ingredients:

- 1 box dry cheese tortellini

- 4 cups vegetable broth

- 2 cups water

- about 1 tbsp olive oil

- 3 carrots, chopped

- 3 celery stalks, chopped

- 1 small onion

- 1 med zucchini

- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed & drained (used about 1/3 of a bag dried that I keep ready to go in the freezer) 

- salt & pepper to taste

1. Chop all vegetables and sautéed until nearly soft in the soup pot. 

2. Add vegetable broth & water and bring to a boil

3. Add tortellini and cook for about 10 minutes or about 2/3 of the cooking time (the cooking time on mine was 15 min)

4. Add chickpeas

5. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 min until tortellini is cooked through. 

* I chose to garnish with green onion, which I had readily available in my fridge. :) 

Possible add-ons, add-ins & Afterthoughts ...

- Next time I may add some more seasonings, I'm thinking basil or oregano for a little extra flavor

- Use low sodium products to make this soup more heart healthy. Although, I like to use the regular broth and do not add any extra salty seasonings. 

- Throw in any veggies you like. The more the merrier! 

- add in any "delicate" vegetables closer to the end of the cooking time (with the chickpeas) to prevent any color distortion or nutrient breakdown from over cooking (My zucchini looked like pickles when I was done...whoops!)

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