Creamy Tortellini Soup

Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;

in his arms he gathers the lambs,

carrying them in his bosom,

and leading the ewes with care.

Isaiah 40:11

This time of year I love to sit in my rocking chair, pulled right up to my living room window, and watch the weather take it's toll on my hillside. I thoroughly enjoy the sound of the rain pounding on my roof, and watching the trees dance in response to the punishing wind... as if to say "Is that all you got?". I find it magnificent, and breathtaking... but I also find it.... COLD.

I made this soup on a day just like the one I described above... lovely to watch, but nasty to be out in. There's something about knowing there's a crockpot full of warm, delicious soup that warms me right to the core and gives me permission to fully enjoy the majesty of God's work outside. This soup fit the bill perfectly, and was DELICIOUS, EASY, AND INEXPENSIVE. A triple whammy of wonderfullness I'd say!

Creamy Tortellini Soup

In a 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker place:

• 1 1.8 ounce envelope white sauce mix

Gradually add

• 4 cups water (I just decided this would be much better using all broth and no water... adjust salt accordingly :)

Whisk together until smooth (I couldn't find the packet of white sauce mix at the grocery store so I bought a packet of alfredo sauce... but it didn't look right to me after I mixed all that water in... so I made a roux with a little butter, flour, and milk... (about 2 - 3 Tablspoons butter and maybe 1/4 cup flour) in a frying pan on med heat until well combined and light golden brown.... I added about 1 1/2 cups of milk directly into the pan all at once and whisked until smooth, then added to the slow cooker)

Stir in:

• 1 14 ounce can vegetable broth ( I used chicken )
• 1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 small onion chopped
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 yellow bell pepper chopped (my addition)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (I added more to taste when done cooking)
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

I chose to saute the veggis in 1 Tablespoon of butter before adding them to the slow cooker (see above picture) just to increase their flavor in the soup... but it wasn't part of the recipe, so you can do either.

Cover your slow cooker with a lid and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours

After that time has passed, add

• 1- 7-8 ounce package of dried tortellini

Cover and cook on low heat for 1 hour or high for 45 minutes.


Then stir in:

• 1- 12ounce can of evaporated milk
• 6 cups of fresh baby spinach leaves (I honestly didn't measure my spinach I just added handfulls until it looked good to me)

Ladle into soup bowls

Sprinkle each serving with shredded parmesean cheese and freshly ground black pepper to taste (my addition).

This recipe is definately one that will be coming back to my slow cooker soon! Enjoy and be blessed!

Love, Jocelyn

Recipe adapted from Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes