Mushroom and Sausage Tortellini Soup
While we were visiting my family over the holidays my mother hosted a New Year’s Day party. As with all her parties, she brought out her entertaining china and glasses. You know the entertaining china, it’s the really pretty stuff that only comes out three or four times a year when you’re having the big events… like New Year’s. Anyway, one of the dishes she pulled out was a beautiful soup tureen that had belonged to my father’s mother. She wasn’t going to use it because, well, she never uses it, but she had to pull it down to get to the platters she was going to use. Before she returned it to the shelf, she turned to me and asked, “You want it?”
My heart leapt. Do I want it? Of course I want it. It’s a Haviland. It’s part of a stunning set and (most importantly) it’s vintage. I mean, not only does Havilland not make this pattern any more, the fact that it was my grandmother’s means it’s a family heirloom, making it even more desirable. I smiled eagerly and said “Of course!” But before I could put my hands on it, I had to get my father’s permission. After all, it was his mother’s and it means a lot to him. As you can see from the photos, he gave me his blessing and the soup tureen was passed down once more. The timing was perfect.
While it hasn’t been that cold in California, the rest of the country seems to be suffering from quite a cold snap. There are two things I love to eat when it’s freezing: comforting casseroles and soups. So when I saw this Mushroom and Beef Ravioli soup in Better Homes and Gardens, I knew I had to make it. And now, thanks to my father, I had the perfect tureen to serve it in. It’s actually because of the tureen that I decided to make the soup.
The tureen may make the soup look amazing, but I wouldn’t be posting it if it weren’t delicious too. The broth is a basic beef broth which compliments the sausage tortellini. Although I used tortellini since I couldn’t find beef ravioli, that didn’t hurt the dish. As a matter of fact, the broth complimented the sausage tortellini quite well. So while I substituted the tortellini, you could use whichever pasta you prefer. What makes this soup ideal for the chilly weather, is that it’s warm but not heavy. The broth is light and flavorful while the tortellini fills you up without bringing on a serious case of food coma. But the best thing about it is how easy this soup is to make. It only took me about 20 minutes from start to ladeling it into my beautiful new tureen. I can’t wait to use this piece again, but just like my mother, it’s probably going to have to wait until my next dinner party.
Mushroom and Sausage Tortellini Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 6 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, stemmed and chopped
- 1 (32 oz.) container beef broth
- 1 (20 oz.) package frozen sausage tortellini
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Heat the oil in a 4 quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, mushrooms and pepper and cook until tender and mushrooms start to brown, about five minutes.
- Raise the heat to high, pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Add the tortellini and return to boiling. Let cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-8 minutes or until tortellini are fork-tender. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.
