Family Meal for Two

This past Saturday was the hottest day this year. We all wore shorts, short sleeves, cute dresses and sandals. It was gorgeous. Gave me hope that spring was coming soon. Then last night, it snowed. Winter wrapped its icy-cold jealous fingers around the neck of Spring and pulled her offstage, stealing a few more weeks of the spotlight.

I decided it was the perfect time to make one of Everett's favorite meals, "Winter Soup". We call it that because we can't come up with a name that better describes the way it fills your belly with warmth and satisfaction. There is nothing better than exploiting your ability to have a "family meal" with your family of two, but a lot of recipes make way too much food for two people to eat, even with leftovers. I have a couple of recipes that I make consistently, and I'll be sharing them over a few posts. This one is relatively inexpensive, quick, and incredibly filling (good news for those of you who have husbands with bottomless stomachs!). Here's the recipe:

 

Ingredients:
1 box of vegetable broth
1 can of white cannelloni beans
1 cup of frozen/chopped spinach
1 bag of frozen tortellini
Between 1/2 tsp and 2 tsp chili powder, to taste

*optional: shredded cooked chicken.

1. Pour the vegetable broth in a large saucepan and turn the heat on medium. Add the chili powder.

2. Add the white beans and spinach. Let simmer for 15 minutes or so. *You can add cooked chicken at this point if you want. It's cheaper without it (and vegetarian!).

3. Add frozen tortellini and cook as directed on the package. (Usually about 6-8 minutes).

Done!

I serve this with sweet tea and rolls, and Everett loves it with freshly grated Parmesan or mozzarella on top. It keeps well and is wonderful as leftovers. Enjoy!

--Caroline