Curried Tomato-Tortellini Soup

Serves 4 | Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes

A great ‘one pot’ way to add more nutrients to your pasta dishes. It’s even delicious eaten cold the next day. Especially if it’s hot. Adapted from Heidi Swanson.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons (30g) extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, medium dice
1 medium carrot, medium dice
3 cloves garlic, micro planned
2 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes (or one teaspoon Aleppo pepper)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups cooked lentils
5 cups water (plus more if needed)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 ounces / 1 pound fresh tortellini
4 big handfuls of spinach (from about one 5.5oz clam shell) or 1 bunch mustard greens, chopped
To serves: grated parmesan

Chef Tips

If you don’t have any cooked lentils lying around using 3/4 cup dry lentils and increase your cooking time about 5-10 minutes.

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion (and a pinch of salt) and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion has softened a bit; about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, wait a minute, then add the curry powder, paprika, turmeric, and chile flakes, and stir well. This toasting of spices is an essential step when cooking with spices.

Step 2

Add the tomatoes stir in the lentils, and the water. Cover and allow to cook for 10 minutes or so, until the lentils have cooked through. Stir in the salt, and then the tortellini. Cover and cook for another 3-5 minutes, or per package instructions – until tender and cooked through. Stir in the spinach (or mustard greens) and cook just until the leaves are wilted. Serve with a dusting of cheese and a squeeze of lemon juice. If you need to thin out with a bit more water, do so, and re-season. Enjoy!