Smoky Minestrone with Tortellini

Smoky Minestrone with Tortellini 

(Courtesy of Food 52)

Link to recipe on Food 52

I found this recipe randomly searching on AOL one day.  Of course I make it almost completely different than the original...joys of being a picky eater!  Shannon loves this recipe though, and its great when its cold outside!  You could make this with any variations of veggies and stock that you'd like, so feel free to experiment with it.  Oh and then let me know how it turns out!

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of bacon (we used fully cooked bacon cause its easier!)
• Variety of veggies, see below for our method:

1 small can of carrots
1 small can of green beans
1 small can of diced new potatoes
2 ribs of celery, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 of a large onion peeled and chopped
• 1 28 oz. can of peeled San Marzano tomatoes, with juice
• 1 9 oz package of cheese tortellini
• 3 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions:

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the bacon pieces and cook for a couple of minutes, until they start to brown.  Remove bacon and chop/crumble.  Add 2 more tablespoons of oil along with the chopped onion and garlic. Continue to cook, strirring occasionally, over medium heat until softened. Add the vegetables and stir around for a minute or two.  Add the stock and then the tomatoes, crushing them with your hands as you go. Bring the soup to a boil, add the tortellini, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15-30 minutes until the tortellini is tender.  Serve with grated Italian style cheese on top!

Yum!