Italian Christmas Soup

Check out this Italian Christmas Soup recipe and make it ahead of time except for the pasta that you can through in at the end.

When we think about celebrating the holidays, we think about spending it with our family and friends. This may mean wanting to less time in the kitchen during the festivities. Doing as much as we can ahead of time can help provide more relaxation and enjoyment! Check out these three make ahead soup menus that you can prepare to keep your heart happy and bright!

I like to try to get as many ingredients from my local farmers’ market as I can and there are still greens available that grow where I live. There are also some apples, sweet potatoes, potatoes and fall squash.

Make-Ahead Soup Menu 1

This Italian Christmas Tortellini Soup that is so colorful and delicious that the whole family will enjoy. Serve it with a hard crusty baguette, a salad and light dessert that you can have already ahead of time! I think that it would pair nicely with pears. Here are two posts that include some pear desserts!

http://www.vineripenutrition.com/6-healthy-desserts-to-celebrate-the-holidays/

http://www.vineripenutrition.com/2-pear-dessert-recipes-to-make-this-fall/

Italian Christmas Tortellini Soup

This soup makes a simple but delicious holiday meal. I love the red, green and white! You can do everything ahead of time except cooking the pasta. When you are reheating and putting finishing touches to the  holiday table, let the soup warm to simmer and add the tortellini, the pasta will cook in about 5 minutes directly in the soup broth. If you are celiac/gluten free and if you do not have a gluten free tortellini, substitute a gluten free grain instead.

Makes 4 dinner servings

2 cups vegetable broth

1 package of cheese tortellini (My husband made ours but there are some great ones available fresh or frozen)

1-15 ounce can cannelinni beans, rinsed and drained

1-14 1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon thyme

Touch of cayenne

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large stock pot, heat broth and add canned tomatoes. Add basil, thyme and a touch of cayenne pepper if desired and allow to simmer. You can leave the soup at this point until you are ready to serve. If you made it way ahead of time, you could even freeze it at this point. If you are making it a day or two ahead in advance and will keeping in the refrigerator, you can add the beans ahead of time but don’t freeze them. It will affect the texture. On the day of your holiday event, put pot on to simmer while making the last-minute touches to the dinner table and add the pasta in the soup broth. It cooks in about 10 minutes.

Here are some pictures of my husband making the tortellini. When he is in the midst of making pasta, he wants to do it all his self, so I stayed out of his way and took a few pictures! He likes to use Pasta Tecnica for a reference when he makes pasta,

Making Artisian Pasta

Here are two additional make-ahead soup menu ideas!

Make-Ahead Soup Menu 2

This soup recipe comes from my friend Serena with Teaspoon of Spice who is a registered dietitian nutritionist.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Cornbread Muffin

Seasonal Fruit Crisp

Make-Ahead Soup Menu 3

This chili recipe is from Debbie, a registered dietitian nutritionist at her blog Debbie Dishes!

Vegetarian Chipotle Chili

Baked Corn Tortilla Chips

Pumpkin Cinnamon Donuts

http://www.vineripenutrition.com/2-pumpkin-spice-treats/

Make some Italian Christmas Soup

I hope that you find one or all three of these menus helpful to you as you go into the holiday season and the celebration mode! These menus are easy, tasty, pretty, can easily be made ahead of time and are also healthy! And I hope that you get a chance to make this Italian Christmas Soup. You can make or buy the tortellini to put in it!

You may also enjoy these 10 Vegetarian Brunch Recipes for the Holidays – Vine Ripe Nutrition.

As an Asheville registered dietitian nutritionist, I love sharing recipes that I make at home to share ideas how everyone can eat healthy, delicious and seasonal! If you are new to my stories and recipes, welcome! If you have come back to see what’s cooking, I am so happy to have you! Please share some of these ideas with your friends and I look forward to more delicious days together ahead! Happy holidays!