You might not think a soup would be the perfect meal for a hungry family, but this chunky, creamy soup is absolutely stuffed with ham and vegetables. There's a lot of vegetables to chop up, but if save this recipe for the end of your week you can use up all of your leftovers.
Plus, this recipe is really easy to modify. You can make it as spicy as you want, more or less thick, or even swap out the ham and chicken broth for vegetable broth to make a filling vegetarian meal.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 large onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, thinly sliced
- 2 stalks celerly, chopped
- 4 minced garlic cloves
- 1/3 cup flour
- 6 cups of low sodium chicken broth (divided)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 cups cooked and cubed ham
- 15 ounces (1 can) of Canneli beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley (or a tablespoon of fresh)
- 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (you can leave this out for a less spicy soup)
- 4 cups (1 pound) of uncooked, refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 2-3 cups of half and half
- Parmesan and fresh parsley to garnish
Directions
Melt the butter and olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.
Add onions and saute them for 2 minutes.
Add carrots and celery, stir the pot for 3 minutes.
Add garlic and saute for another 30 seconds.
Sprinkle in flour then cook for 3 minutes while stirring.
Turn the heat down to low and stir in 5 1/2 cups of chicken broth.
Add 2 tablespoons of corn starch with the last 1/2 cup of broth and whisk.
Stir in the ham, beans, Dijon mustard, bay leaves, bouillon and the herbs and spices.
Bring the soup to a boil, then cover the pot and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Your vegetables should be tender when this step is done.
Add in the tortellini and boil for 1-2 minutes. The pasta should still be firm.
Stir in the half and half. You can add more half and half or broth depending on how creamy you want your soup to be.
Garnish with parsley and Parmesan.
Don't bother making any dessert tonight, because this soup will definitely stick to your ribs.
