parsnips aplenty

This entry is for Emily, who made this soup with me way back in March. I have been promising her for a year that I would (a) make this soup and (b) write a blog post about it. When she came to visit from Boston, and our friend Kathryn also came down from Seattle, we had a long weekend stuffed with excellent food all over town. By Saturday night we were feeling a little worn out from all the butter we’d ingested (Broder, Bridgeport, Voodoo, Vita, Petite Provence…), so we had a nice little trip to New Seasons and collected some soup ingredients. I took plenty of pictures of our simple supper adventure and happened upon them the other day. I still remember tomato and orange getting along so well, balloons of pasta and soft white beans. The orange is what really makes it, though. It’s a good soup without it, an outstanding soup with. Use dairy-free tortellini and it’s vegan.

Tortellini and Kale Soup
serves 5-6

2 tablespoons olive oil (not extra virgin)
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, halved
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup white wine
large can tomato juice
2 cups vegetable broth
handful frozen tortellini
1 can white beans, drained
1/2 bunch kale, stemmed and roughly chopped
1 orange, sliced in thin half moons

Heat oil in a 4-quart soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, thyme, cinnamon, and a big pinch of coarse salt; cook until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add wine and cook until it doesn’t smell boozy, about 2 minutes. Add juice, broth, tortellini, and beans. Bring to a boil, add kale, and cook 10 minutes. Serve with orange slices. Smile at Emily.