|
|
|
|
|
Spicy Tuscan Tortellini Soup with Sea Salt Focaccia |
ckelson writes, "Like the envelopes of love letters sent to the cherished people in your life, this month of loveliness comes to a close. End it with an unpretentious, robust soup that will make you feel, at least for one romantic night, you have died and dined in Tuscany, Italy. This soup blends the warm notes of bell peppers, Serrano pepper, garlic and fennel, with an innocent, fresh white wine and tomato broth. The finishing touches bring it to life with a burst of flavor, aroma and saltiness from sassy lemon, delightful basil and seductive parmesan. Mio amore!"
|
Spicy Tuscan Tortellini Soup with Sea Salt Focaccia
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. mild Italian sausage (or kick up the heat with medium heat sausage)
1/2 cup diced mixture of red, orange, and yellow bell peppers
1/3 cup diced green bell pepper
1/3 cup diced yellow onion
1/3 cup diced carrot
1/4 cup diced fennel
1/4 cup minced garlic (about 10 cloves)
2 Tablespoons minced Serrano pepper
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup white wine + 3 Tablespoons
1/2 cup minced fresh herbs: parsley, thyme, oregano, basil stems - save the delicate leaves of basil for finishing the dish with a fresh, aromatic savor
2 cups chicken stock, heated
2 cups beef stock, heated
2-3 cups water, heated
1 lb. fresh or frozen tortellini
1 cup chopped zucchini and summer squash (optional)
Fresh shavings of aged parmesan
Fresh squeeze of juice from 1 lemon
Fresh basil leaves
Directions:
Saute the sausage in a Dutch oven pot or a heavy bottomed soup pot, over medium to medium-high heat until browned and the fat has rendered out. Once nicely browned, but not necessarily cooked through, remove it from the pot, reserving the fat to cook the vegetables. Before adding the diced vegetables, deglaze the pan with 3 Tablespoons of either white wine or water; scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the carrots, onions, fennel and green bell peppers, cook for 15 minutes covered (to soften, but not brown); about 10 minutes into it, add the remaining vegetables: red, orange, yellow bell peppers, Serrano pepper, garlic and herbs. Cook for the remaining 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, cook for 2 minutes, coating the vegetables. Deglaze by adding 1/2 cup white wine; cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes more.
Add the chicken and beef broths, water and sausage to the pot, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat back down to medium-low and let the soup simmer for 35- 45 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of cooking add the optional zucchini and summer squash and the fresh or frozen tortellini.
Before serving, adjust the flavors by adding a touch of salt and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. In each bowl, shave aged parmesan into thin strips and dust lightly with fresh basil leaves. Serve with a side of sea salt focaccia.
Sea Salt Focaccia:
In another blog post I will cover a great recipe for homemade focaccia; in the meantime, I found a great, fast cheat at the grocery store. In the artisanal bread section was a delicious focaccia that can be heated up and served in less than 15 minutes. I brushed a little olive oil on the top, sprinkled it with sea salt and served it hot and on time, right alongside my tortellini soup. I hope this makes your life easier, and still sophisticated, too! Enjoy!
|
Posted on Feb 26, 2012 08:07am.
(Return)
|
Please login to post a comment.
|
|
|
|
|
|