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Tortellini, Kale and White Bean Soup is quick and easy and perfect for warming you up from the inside out.

Pot of tortellini soup

Time for a confession.

Seriously, how many times a month do I confess things to you guys? Anyone out there starting to feel like a priest?

I have never been trick or treating.

I know.

But, before you start drinking the haterade, let me ‘splain.

1.) I have never been much of a fan of Halloween. I am way too easily spooked by things, and not in a “fun” way. More in a “I’m going to crap myself” kind of way. Scary movies? Not my thing. People in creepy masks? Definitely not my thing.

b.) I was the weird 4-year-old who didn’t like candy.

Please still be my friend.

The neighborhood we lived in when I was little primarily consisted of families with teenagers or empty nesters. Even if the first two things did not apply, there would have been little point in trick or treating, since I would have been by myself. Which is sad and lonely on a number of levels.

Hashtag only child problems.

BUT. Had I been one to ever go trick or treating, you can be darn sure that I would have wanted something hearty and warm to fill me up beforehand. When you live in the midwest, you plan for wearing a coat over/under your costume and needing something warm immediately before and after you’ve pillaged the neighbors’ candy bowls.

If I were going trick or treating this year, this is the soup I would want to eat immediately before. And after.

This Tortellini, Kale, and White Bean Soup was a total experiment. A throw-everything-in-the-pot-and-see-what-happens kind of situation. And I’ll tell you, what happened was surprisingly good.

We start with a tomatoey broth layered with sautéed onion and garlic and seasoned with Italian herbs. Throw in some white beans, a package of cheese tortellini, a few handfuls of chopped kale, and top it off with a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and you’ve got yourself a bowl full of comfort.

Serve it up alongside your favorite bread (maybe some Rustic Sourdough Bread, Buttery Sourdough Rolls, or Cracked Wheat Rolls) and this is a meal that will keep you full and warm for hours.

Though it will really help if you are going out dressed as an Eskimo. Or a professional skier. Or a polar bear. Or…you get the idea. Stay warm out there, kids.

Tortellini, kale, and white bean soup

Tortellini, Kale, and White Bean Soup

5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Servings: 6

Ingredients 

  • 1/2 large onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 14.5- ounce can petite diced tomatoes do not drain
  • 2 15- ounce cans white/cannellini beans drained and rinsed
  • 2 quarts chicken stock
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 pound cheese tortellini or your favorite flavor
  • 2-3 cups chopped fresh kale
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for about 5 minutes, until translucent and soft. Add the garlic, cook one minute more.
  • Add the tomatoes (and their juices), white beans, stock, and dried herbs. Bring to a boil and add the tortellini. Simmer until tortellini are cooked (follow package directions, mine took about 7 minutes). Add the kale and allow to wilt slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

25 Comments

  1. We finished up this soup for lunch today and remarked to each other how good it is. I’m excited to have another soup for my work days to have this winter. I’m going to post my one picture of you in a costume on Thursday, just to prove that you did participate in some sort of Halloween deal, even if it was just the kindergarten party. I should have forced you to trick or treat, just so I could have had all of the candy.

  2. Wow! I do not think I have ever met anyone who hasn’t gone trick or treating, but your reasons are totally valid. This soup sounds great, and a must for this cold weather coming.

  3. The best part about being a non-trick or treater is your friends and family give you cute little orange and black goody bags filled with candy…at least, this is how I am picturing your childhood. That happened, right? The goody bags? Right?

    Anyway, I have fond memories of t o t-ing when I was a kid, but my town is much more mellow and completely un-spooky. Pretty much everyone and their brother is a princess for Halloween, and you pretty much have to hike in order to get from house to house, so there aren’t many creepers lurking around. Creepers are lazy < – – – my opinion.

    Wow, this is becoming an essay! Your soup looks fantasticooooooo! Your pictures are driving me nuts! That Alex is one lucky man to have a lady whose experiments pan out so wonderfully!

    Let's go trick or treating! 😉

  4. Never been trick-or-treating. Whoa. I need to speak to your mom. Stat.

    I do not do scary movies. Why would I want to be scared? Just…no. But I do so love Halloween. The little kids dressed up, the pumpkins, and definitely the candy. But rest assured, we can still be friends. Because I like soup, too. Whew.

    1. Ok. I need to defend myself. I don’t think you understand the height of her fear factor, and her total dislike for candy. We would go into the local bank and the nice lady would offer her a piece of candy for being such a good girl, and she would back away from it like it was boogers or something. I FINALLY talked her into taking it, saying thank you and then holding it until we got in the car, where I would take it from her and sacrifice myself and eat the candy. It was a tough job. However, the thought of her crying as we would walk the street (in the cold) to houses that we didn’t know the people (no family) to get candy that she wouldn’t eat just didn’t make sense. I do have an adorable picture of her that I’ll post tomorrow of her in a costume from the preschool party. Oh, well…and I can actually sew!

      1. Haha. She was traumatized by the candy! My mom said that when I was little, if anyone even came toward me and the stroller and I would scream bloody murder…. I was probably given candy to shut up.

      1. Oh man last time I went to a haunted house or actually, a haunted trail, was in high school. We got kicked out and banned because one of my friends got so scared she hit the guy in the head with her purse. True story. I always hid behind somebody for the whole thing. I hate being scared!!!

  5. So, I was an only child, too, but because of that, there was NO CANDY in my house growing up. Trick or treat was the best time of the year! I’d stay up late and eat it all and make myself sick. I usually missed school on November 1st.

    This soup is all my favorite things!

  6. This soup is maj! Love it! I’m posting a soup recipe tomorrow too. I know, totally against the Halloween sweets theme most people will be doing. But, that’s why I love you. PS you weren’t missing anything by not trick-or-treating.

  7. Turned hubby onto Kale not too long ago and am always looking for new ways to incorporate it. This looks amazing!! Found your recipe at the Simple Supper Tuesday Link Party. I am one of the hostesses of Tickle My Tastebuds and would love you to stop by and link up this recipe if you have not yet already. Here is the link
    http://bit.ly/11OzU89
    Lori

  8. Only child syndrome here as well! Hallowern wasn’t that fun for me, but I do enjoy a good scary movie! This soup looks yummy and comforting. With this big snow storming coming to CT, this soup will b a hit along with my home made bread. Thank you for sharing your recipe. God Bless.

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