Tortellini Soup

This winter has already been a doozy, and it's only the middle of January.  Cold, snowy weekend days like these call for soup making.  I love soup because you can use up vegetables and other items in your fridge and no matter what the combination, somehow it always tastes great! The cheesy tortellini adds a wonderful change from the normal boring old pasta, and it is wonderfully filling.

INGREDIENTS: 
1 Onion - diced
1 Carrot - diced
1 Cup Sliced Mushrooms
1 Bunch Kale - leaves only, diced
2 Garlic Cloves - minced
1 Roasted Red Pepper - diced
30 oz. Chicken Broth (or veggie stock will work too!)
16 oz. Tomato Puree (about)
1/2 Stick of Cream Cheese
1/2 bag of Tortellini (I eyeballed it!) 
3 Tbs. Butter
3 Tbs. Oil
Salt and Pepper

1.  Begin by sauteing the onions and carrots with the butter and oil.  After a few minutes, you can add the diced kale, roasted red pepper, mushrooms, and the garlic.  Allow these too cook for a few minutes.  The Kale will wilt quite a bit, which is exactly what you want. Make sure to salt and pepper, especially if your stock has no salt added.

2. Add in the stock and the tomato puree.  Dice up the cream cheese and add it into the pot as well.  Bring the soup to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer.  After about 20 minutes, add in the tortellini.  Once the tortellini are cooked (about 9 minutes), the soup is ready to serve!

2.  Top with roasted tomatoes and Parmesan cheese as desired!