Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Ocean Mist Farms. As always, all opinions here are my own.
Get ready — that hectic time of year is approaching faster than you can say, “Black Friday.” Preparing for the holiday season can bring about some feelings that are a bit contradictory.
On one hand, the shorter days and cooler temps make you want to snuggle up at home with a hearty bowl of something warm and comforting that’s been cooking for hours. On the other hand, you crave low-key evenings and fuss-free recipes knowing that soon enough you’ll be bustling around the kitchen preparing holiday meals, so meals with extensive prep are out.
It’s a bummer that you can’t have your stew and eat it too… can you?
{I think you know that I’m here to tell you you can!}
In my experience, there are two essential keys to enjoying effortless meals during the week without having to dedicate a lot of time to preparing them the day-of: Prepping in advance and store-bought “helpers.”
The reality is that at the end of a long day, most folks just don’t have the energy or patience to wait for things as they would at a more leisurely time. And that’s where my little tips come in handy.
For example, fresh Ocean Mist Farms artichokes are such a delectable ingredient to include in your fall cooking menus whether you’re serving them up stuffed or using the tender hearts to add to stick-to-your-ribs soups or casseroles that warm you from the inside out. However, their {slightly intimidating} preparation requirements and the time it takes to cook them probably don’t put them at the top of your list for easy weeknight meals.
The good news is, with a bit of planning ahead {and some smart shopping} on the weekend, your options won’t be limited in the least!
I came up with this shockingly easy Tortellini Artichoke Pesto Soup when I was looking for a quick dish that feels {fraudulently} lavish in the best way possible. 🙂
Fresh, Ocean Mist Farms globe artichokes are cooked in advance as a time-saver, and their tender hearts and stems are used to create a delicious soup that satisfies both hunger pangs and time constraints. Using store bought pesto and tortellini, this flavorful soup comes together incredibly quickly, making it a fantastic weekday meal.
Though artichokes may look daunting to cook with their armored outside, they are actually quite easy to make once you get the hang of it! You can boil them, steam them and even microwave them, then store them in the refrigerator for up to a week, making them easily accessible for quick, tasty recipes. {If you don’t eat them before then, that is!}
Ocean Mist Farms has some fantastic video tutorials to show just how simple artichoke prepping, cooking and eating can be, so make sure to hop over and check it out if you’re more of a visual learner!
Take all the shortcuts you can think of before the crazy days of the holiday season arrive and you’ll be more than ready for the merrymaking when it matters most!
Tortellini Artichoke Pesto Soup
Ingredients
- 4 Ocean Mist Farms globe cooked artichoke hearts and stems roughly chopped {see links for video tutorial above}
- 1/2 a small onion finely diced
- 6 cherry tomatoes seeded and finely diced*
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt**
- 1 32 oz. container vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 10 oz. container store bought tortellini your favorite flavor
- 1/3 cup store bought pesto
- 1 cup spinach roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a medium pot over medium-high heat, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add onion and cook until slightly tender and translucent. Add tomatoes and chopped artichoke and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- Add broth and water; bring to a boil.
- Add tortellini and cook according to package directions.
- In the last minute of cooking, stir in pesto and chopped spinach and cook until spinach is just wilted.
- Serve immediately topped with grated cheese and/or croutons if desired.
Notes
**You may need to adjust the salt accordingly depending on the sodium levels in your broth and pesto. Always taste as you go.
[…] am happy as a clam. I will throw open the windows, put on my coziest sweater and make a big pot of soup. Because there aren’t too many times in the year where I get to combine all three of those […]