Tortellini Soup

It’s been a bit rainy and cold around here lately and the perfect weather for a nice hot bowl of soup. The following recipe was sent to me from one of my Italian cousins. She was kinda vague about the measurements so you'll have to improvise a little bit. Taste as you go along. I made it last night and was delighted with the results. It isn’t a heavy, dense soup but the Tortellini gives it a satisfying finish.

Spinach Tortellini Soup

You need:
A bunch of fresh spinach, wash and de-stemmed
Olive oil, a couple of tablespoons
Garlic, about two cloves, chopped
Onion, chopped
Mushrooms, chopped up
Stewed tomatoes, diced a couple of cans.
Cheese Tortellini, one package (I like the multi-colored ones)
Shredded/grated Parmesan cheese (for on top at the end)
Broth* (I use veggie, but chicken is okay) - amount depends on how many you want to serve (you need a little extra added for left-overs (the tortillinis tend to soak up all the water/broth)
Salt, pepper, you can throw in basil/oregano if you feel like it

1. heat olive oil in soup pot, heat up onion and garlic
2. add spinach, cook it down
3. add mushrooms, cook 'em up
4. add stewed tomatoes with the juice, heat
5. add broth, get it nice and hot
6. season to taste
7. boil soup and when you are ready to eat, add the Tortellini (you only need to cook them for 10 or 12 minutes, look at the package directions), don't let them cook too long before serving, they tend to bloat and fall apart.
8. serve hot with some Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top

*Jacqueline: I use my own chicken stock that I keep in my freezer.