Tortellini Veggie Soup! My Soup Pet Peeve, And Soup 101!!

We love soup in our family and especially in the winter eat a lot of it. When eating out, of which we haven't done since Covid, I always had to have a cup of soup no matter what. One of my favorite soups is a tortellini soup. Now here is my problem with soups on restaurant menus. To me, anyway, the first ingredient listed is the ingredient there should be more of, after all, isn't that the theory on packaged items in the grocery store? Isn't that why you are paying the extra for it? I have had tortellini soup where I could count the amount on one hand, I have also had tortellini soup where I had to search to find any, and very seldom have I had the soup with plenty. Therefore, in my house when I make tortellini soup you can be sure you are getting your money's worth of the first ingredient listed!! Here is how a soup is created in my house most often, and today just happens to be tortellini soup!! Please Note: It is your soup and your ingredients to work with. I don't give measurements for soups. Making a soup is one time you need to wing it, you can't mess up a soup, after all, no one knows what you were actually trying to achieve except you!! This of course is an optional step, but I had a nice leftover chicken breast carcass and tossed that in some water with a few bay leaves, some onion and garlic powder and let it simmer while I was dicing my celery, onions, and carrots. I also defrosted some frozen chick peas, some bone broth, and baby broccoli florets. (you would use water, chicken or veggie broth, your choice for next step) Next, I removed the carcass and added my diced veggies, simmered them covered for 6 minutes, removed cover and added my chick peas and broccoli and a little plain water, keeping veggies covered, simmering for 6 minutes longer. (your simmer times will depend on size of your diced veggies) Lastly, I added my defrosted bone broth and heated all together! I try to make my soups early morning or even day before as they are always better after a bit . If this is the case, then I simply put my soup in a container and proceed to cook my pasta or rice if using any, today the tortellini, in the same pan. IT is so important that you do not add your pasta or rice to a soup until ready to serve it! Your starch will absorb the broth in the soup as it sits and it will become mushy. Of course, if you are making a soup with specific instructions to cook it with a large amount of liquid to offset that, do!! We are going to have a very cold January week here in Vermont, maybe now is the perfect week to make that soup, then sit back and enjoy the compliments! Stay safe and warm all!!