Creamy Tortellini Soup

First I have to say (and I may have said it before), that I LOVE Pinterest! It's one amazing site. Anyways, back to my original post. I made Creamy Tortellini Soup (from www.bhg.com) today for the fellowship meal at church. It was an easy recipe and tasted pretty yummy. Two things that I love in a recipe....easy & yummy. Here's the recipe for those interested. and I loved dipping french bread into the sauce..yum!

Creamy Tortellini Soup

ingredients

• 1
  1 1/2 - 2 ounce envelope white sauce mix
• 4
  cups water
• 1
  14 ounce can vegetable broth (I used half chicken broth, half beef broth bc I didn't have veg broth)
• 1 1/2
  cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/2
  cup chopped onion
• 3
  cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2
  teaspoon dried basil, crushed
• 1/4
  teaspoon salt
• 1/4
  teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• 1/8
  teaspoon cayenne pepper (I just put a dash)
• 1
  7 - 8 ounce package dried cheese tortellini (about 2 cups)
• 1
  12 ounce can evaporated milk
• 6
  cups fresh baby spinach leaves or torn spinach
• 1/2 lb
• ground turkey, browned (I added this - so you can add it or leave it out---optional)
• ground black pepper (optional)
• finely shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
  
  
  directions

  1.Place dry white sauce mix in a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker. Gradually add the water to the white sauce mix, stirring until smooth. Stir in broth, mushrooms, onion, garlic, basil, salt, oregano, and cayenne pepper.

  I also browned ground turkey and added it to the mix.

  2.Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2-1/2 to 3 hours.

  3.Stir in dried tortellini. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 1 hour more or high-heat setting for 45 minutes more.

  4.Stir in evaporated milk and fresh spinach (I cooked my spinach in the pan I used toc.

  cook the turkey and added it to the soup after it had been on low 2 hrs). If desired, sprinkle individual servings with black pepper and Parmesan cheese. Makes 4 servings (I'd say more like 6-8 servings...unless you eat huge bowls of soup...this recipe filled my regular size crockpot).