The weather is changing, and it’s ticking me off.

I have a slew of summery recipes that I didn’t get to try, and there’s little hope of getting good summer produce that will actually look appetizing or be affordable.

I was mad about this up until I talked to my mom over the weekend. She was talking about cooking her potato soup that made me wish I were sitting at the table helping her instead of drooling over the phone.

Soup. I love soup. Soup sucks in the summer. It thrives in the weather that we have right now— chilly with a chance of dreary.

It was one of the first things that Mom taught me how to make, and there are so many variations of it for any occasion.

The good thing about soup is you don’t have to rely on the produce section.

For example, I can’t find good tomatoes anymore. Gardens have all been harvested. The price of a few romas is ridiculous, and I don’t want to deal with pale produce— it creeps me out.

So instead, I turn to the canned and frozen vegetable aisles. Just a few cans, or bags, of vegetables and broth and you have yourself a pretty decent soup. And the best thing about a vat of soup is that it’s cheap and makes many meals.

To find some good recipes go to www.cookingcache.com/cat/soup_recipes/default.aspx.

Below, is a recipe for a quick and easy soup. I made it in the residence halls in my microwave when I roomed there, and now I make it on my stove in my apartment.

Styled after Italian Wedding Soup, this meal isn’t heavy, but it is filling and goes great with a side of garlic bread.


Tortellini soup

Ingredients:

One package of frozen tortellini, or an unsauced portion from the dining hall
Broth (chicken or vegetarian)
One package of frozen spinach, or the fresh stuff from the salad bar
One clove of garlic
Salt and pepper

Equipment:

Big pot or microwaveable bowl
Knife
Can opener

Microwave version:

Defrost the spinach for about three minutes in the microwave. Squeeze out excess liquid in your sink until you’re sure it’s all out. Squeeze it again. Nice.

Or use the fresh kind, which you don’t need to defrost.

Empty one can of broth in a large microwaveable bowl. Peel and then cut the garlic into slices and add to broth along with about 1/2 a cup of tortellini. Microwave until the tortellini is hot,
about five-seven minutes.

Add about a 1/2 cup of spinach. Shake in some salt and pepper to your liking. Be aware that canned broth does have a lot of sodium in it, so taste it before you add any more salt.

Microwave for about three more minutes.

Let sit for a few minutes so you don’t burn yourself and then eat.


Stove version:

You’ll be able to make more soup on the stove than in the microwave. If you’re looking for only a single serving, follow the portions above.

Just like above, defrost the spinach in the microwave.

Empty about three cans of broth into a large pot.

Peel and then cut the garlic into slices.

Add the whole package of tortellini, all the spinach, and garlic to the broth. Shake salt and pepper to your liking. Take heed to the warning about sodium levels in the above version.

Over medium heat, bring the soup to a slow simmer. Cook for about five mintues. Do not overcook the tortellini as it will gum up and make the soup taste weird.

Serve and enjoy.

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