The Craftiest Workshop

I had bought a case of diced tomatoes on sale but, with cooking for only the two of us, I was struggling to use them up before the due date. I do have my mom’s chili recipe that I make every so often but I end up freezing most of it for future meals. I decided to experiment a bit and made a few batches of soup using the tomatoes until I found one we really liked.

We have a bone-in ham a few times each year and I make broth with the bone. I really like the taste of this broth to put in soup.
I buy the largest package of tortellini I can get then freeze it in smaller portions to toss in the soup at the end. It could be cheese, chicken or beef tortellini really…whichever you prefer.

The bought pasta sauce gives it that little bit of extra flavour and sweetness which cuts down on the acidity of the tomatoes.

As for the meatballs, I bought a gigantic bag at Costco and I add just enough to the pot so they make one layer and are all covered with broth, keeping in mind that the tortellini is still to be added. I suggest they be cut in half once being served so perhaps next time I will thaw them first and cut them in half. The bought ones are already cooked before being frozen.

Ingredients

1 large carrot diced

2 celery stocks

1 onion diced

3 cloves of garlic minced

4 tsp Italian seasoning

1 large can diced tomatoes (796ml)

6 cups ham broth (beef would also work)

1 cup pasta sauce (use your favourite)

salt and pepper to taste

20 Frozen meatballs

2 cups fresh or frozen tortellini

Directions

If the tortellini is frozen, remove from the freezer at this point.

In a large pot, sauté the carrot, celery, onion and garlic until onion is translucent.

Stir in the Italian seasoning and cook, stirring for two minutes.
Add the canned tomatoes, broth and pasta sauce. Bring to a boil.

Add the meatballs, cover and turn down the heat to simmer. Add salt and pepper to your preferred taste.

Just before serving, bring the soup back to a boil and add the tortellini cooking 5-7 min. I always taste one to see if it is done.

Spoon into bowls and serve.
You can dip with toasted Italian bread or add croutons if you like.

This soup freezes very well.
We get six large servings out of it and it is almost like a stew rather than a soup.