Thursday, December 20, 2007

Soup's On!

Remember my decorating consultant, Missy? I don't think I mentioned, but she's also, on occasion, my food consultant. Missy and I were talking the other day about possible soups I could make for my son who doesn't like onions, and she mentioned a pasta/meatball soup that sounded good.

Today I didn't feel well and came home from work early. No big deal--I just think it's a combination of lack of sleep and hormonal fluctuations. In any event, I was pretty sure that putting on my jammies and climbing into bed for a nice little nap would help me feel much better, so that's exactly what I did. But first I spent about 10 minutes hauling out the crockpot and tossing some soup ingredients in. I turned the crockpot on high, took my nap, and about three hours later, we had a delicious, hearty winter soup. I thought I'd share the recipe with you--it's really perfect for these chilly winter nights! Simple, too, to put in the crockpot to cook while you go quilt, take a nap, or do whatever other important things you may have to do.

Chicken stock/broth--use about three of those "milk carton" containers of stock that the grocery stores are carrying now. I like to keep a couple in my pantry for quick soups. Or you can use a couple of the big cans of chicken stock. Or three or four of the smaller cans.

Turkey meatballs--one package of frozen meatballs. I'm sure that you could use any type of meatballs but the frozen turkey ones are convenient and don't add as much fat/grease to the broth.

Tortellini--a couple packages of the fresh kind. I actually used two 7 oz. packages of mini cheese raviolis.

Spinach--a bag of baby spinach from the salad/lettuce section of the grocery store.

Any other veggies you like--I added a handful or two of those baby carrots that come in the bags all ready to munch. I just sliced them in half.

Seasoning--whatever you like. I have a seasoning mix for soups that I like to add, but it's not a national brand, so there's probably no point in telling you what it is. But do add salt and pepper to taste and maybe some garlic, rosemary, thyme, a little oregano--whatever suits your fancy.

Put everything in the crockpot and cook--it took about three hours on high; allow about five to six hours on low.

Sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese on the soup and serve with crusty French bread. Yum! Bon appetit! And thanks, Missy!

7 comments:

  1. My mouth is watering now!! Thank you for sharing the recipe, and such a simple one at that!
    I hope you are feeling better, Kim! Christmas time and hormones - what a combination! I truly understand.

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  2. Sounds yummy , Kim and me sitting here eating a leftover piece of pizza for lunch. Yours sounds a lot better. But DH wouldn't eat it, No pasta for him. Hope you get feeling better.

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  3. Sounds great Kim!
    Thanks for sharing the recipe. Nothing I like better than a good slow cooker meal.

    Hope you get feeling better with a little rest. Lord knows you probably need a time out!

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  4. What a yummy, yummy recipe. Think I will try it this weekend. Hope that you get to feeling better.

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  5. Soup sounds good about right now. It's windy and cold over here. You know I'm with your son, hate onions!!!
    Hope your feeling better soon.

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  6. Oh, my, that sounds yummy! Too bad I don't cook -- well, I would cook, but I don't know where the kitchen is in my house! In fact, I'm still looking for the perfect house, but they all come with those silly kitchens! Sorry, I get easily sidetracked!

    All kidding aside, I might actually make this one. Could I leave out the spinach?

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  7. My DH can't hve onions...but dried ones don't worry him and I use them in my soups...the flavour isn't overpowering and may be worth a try.
    I can see I will have to invest in a stockpot, I like the idea of sleeping while they work!
    That red and white quilt looks fantastic, as does jennifer's new book...I am so far behind on her books now, I will never catch up.
    Tracey

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