A foodblog can be an exacting mistress, a fact which several of my fellow bloggers have bemoaned of late. What at first seems like a fun little hobby actually takes a surprising amount of work and can quickly become all-consuming. When things are going well, your recipes are on point, your pictures look good and your readers are responding favourably and you feel like a million bucks. You start to think that you are pretty good at this, and you begin walking with a little swagger. But at other times, it can feel like something of a burden. You don’t feel like making anything, much less photographing and writing about it. Or you do feel like making things, but the results are less-than-stellar and not, as we say in my house, “blogworthy”. Suddenly, this little hobby of yours doesn’t seem like much fun, and that swagger in your walk is nowhere to be seen.
I had a lousy blogging week this past week. My photographs were ho-hum, my writing felt uninspired, and a few great recipe ideas resulted in non-blogworthy foods. In fact, just this morning I threw away a pan of brownies that were barely edible. Coconut flour foiled me again, but this time I was actually following someone else’s recipe. I’d tinkered with the flavourings, but that didn’t appear to be the problem. The recipe promised lovely fudgey brownies, but what I ended up with was dry and chalky, and required huge gulps of water to get down. Not exactly something I want to pass on to my readers.
Sometimes I get so focused on creating new, interesting dishes, I lose sight of what this blog is about – sharing my love of cooking and baking with anyone who cares to listen. So I am going back to basics and bringing you a time-honoured recipe, one that I’ve made so many times I could do it in my sleep. But it’s also really, really good. So good that my six-year old son requested it for his birthday dinner last week. He could have had whatever greasy, bad-for-you meal he wanted, but he chose this, a hearty, healthy soup that warms you right down to your toes.
Being that it contains tortellini, it’s not exactly low carb. For my portion, I skipped the pasta and added extra vegetables like zucchini and broccoli. And it was still wonderfully hearty and filling. And it really did warm me right down to my toes. And that, my friends, makes it blogworthy.
Tortellini and Kielbasa Soup adapted from Bon Appetit, February 2002
2 tablespoon olive oil
16oz cooked kielbasa sausage, thinly sliced (turkey kielbasa is fine)
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
½ teaspoon dried pepper flakes
10 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 packaged frozen chopped spinach
2 cups cooked cannellini (canned is fine, but I prefer to use dried and cook them ahead of time. If using canned, be sure to drain and rinse them before adding)
1 12oz package cheese tortellini
salt and pepper to taste
Grated asiago or parmesan cheese for serving
Heat oil in large heavy-duty pot over medium-high heat. Add kielbasa and saute until browned, about 10 minutes. Add onion and continue to stir until onion is soft and translucent, 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add broth and bring to a boil. Stir in cannellini and spinach and reduce heat to low. Simmer 4-5 minutes.
Stir in tortellini. Simmer until tender but firm, about 6 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a sprinkle of cheese on top.
Marlis says
Just wanted you to know, I pinned this soup when Pinterest was pretty new and since then it has been re-pinned 50 times, more than any other pin. It’s definitely super popular!
Carolyn says
Thanks!
Karen says
Oh My! I love this soup! My husband found your recipe a few years ago and it is one of our favorites. I especially loved it when I had Gestational Diabetes because I could eat the carbs from the tortellini pasta, but the fiber from the beans made it so that my blood sugar wouldn’t spike too much from it. It was pouring buckets last night and I was so happy we had the key ingredients in our home all at once so that we could have a “Soup Night”. I made a batch and brought the left overs in to work. My lab students all wanted the recipe.
Eeveryday Mom Style says
Yum! I’m going to make this tonight! Thanks for the inspiration. BTW, we also use the term ‘blogworthy’ in our house! Too funny!
kita says
Um – Yeah I have to make this – like tomorrow. It sounds awesome (hopped over from your current soup post)
Patty H says
This looks really good – I love nice hearty soups. I just printed out the recipe….I can't wait to try it.
Jersey Girl Cooks says
I love this soup. I make a very similar version without the beans. I use turkey kielbasi from Trader Joe's. Delicious!
morbidtruths says
I really liked this soup a lot! I used Trader Joe's pesto tortellini. The only problem I had was too much spinach (which I guess really isn't a problem). Next time I'll use 1/2 a package of frozen, chopped spinach.
phoenixxx says
I made this last night and it was awesome! I replaced the kielbasa with Italian sausage and didn't use onion (not a fan), but seriously, I will be making this a lot.
Marlis says
This soup was an offical success in my household. Everyone loved it. I reduced the garlic and used fresh spinach (didn't have any frozen) and added a sprinkle of parsley at the end. I also only added two cans of reduced sodium broth and one can water (we don't eat much salt) since the Turkey Kielbasa is salty too. Thanks for a great recipe, this is officially now a staple in our home!
Dan says
This looks like a quick, hearty and comforting soup. I've got to try it!
The Enchanted Cook says
Carolyn – your soup looks stunning and delectable! I even showed it to my husband and he loved it, too! I can relate to everything you said, and clearly so do many others! Fantastic post and I can't wait to make the soup!
-Veronica
She's Cookin' says
I've been in the same zone for weeks – a lot of it has to do with traveling so much that, not only am I not cooking but I've lost my momentum and desire and haven't been able to keep up with my blog reading. I read this a few days ago, and I'm back to leave a comment: your tortellini and kielbasa soup looks so rustic and comforting and tummy-warming good, certainly successful on all levels 🙂
Danielle says
Thank you so much for posting this! I was struggling to figure something out for dinner and then I saw this and made it! Delicious!
moowiesqrd says
I definitely understand the funks that come with blogging… I basically took 2009 off because I just needed to deal with life and wasn't inspired to write/blog at all. The soup looks great!
P.S. Yes, I did enjoy that persimmon bread… like zucchini bread, it isn't a major presence. It just lends a light sweetness and moisture.
Stephanie says
That soup looks so warm and comforting — perfect for a cold, gray day. I love kielbasa. I think it adds just the right amount of meaty-goodness to any meal and it has spice. Hubby commented on how much I've been making soup lately. I can't help it, though. They are so easy and fool-proof to make (most of the time).
And, it's funny that you mention the term "blog-worthy," as it's a common word tossed around in my house as well. But, it makes sense though. Who would want to share a recipe for something that sucks? :-p Even when I tinker with a recipe, substituting ingredients for ones that I want, they sometimes turn out crappy. You win some, you lose some, right?