The Foodie Files

From October through...I don't know...March, maybe...pretty much all I want in life is soup.  I crave it nearly every day.  Inexplicably, I only have about five soups in my rotation (Italian Wedding Soup, Moroccan Lentil Soup, Cauliflower soup, French Onion Soup, and your basic chicken and veggie panacea).  Needless to say, I think it's time to branch out.  I was in a mood yesterday that I want to label as creative, but was realistically closer to scattered and thus this different-from-anything-I've-ever-made soup was born.  Honestly, I just starting putting nonsense in my shopping cart and hoping for the best...sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't.  Thankfully this time it did.  Hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

1/2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, diced
1 lb ground sausage
1 quart chicken broth
1 quart water
1 lemon, juiced
1 heaping cup chopped asparagus
1 heaping cup chopped artichoke hearts
10 oz tortellini
1 head rainbow swiss chard
Locatelli cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste

Allow shallots to simmer in oil for about three minutes, then add sausage and brown.  Drain the fat and add broth, water and lemon juice.

Add asparagus and artichoke hearts and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes.  Add tortellini and rainbow swiss chard and cook for an additional 6-8 minutes.  

Sprinkle with Locatelli cheese and serve.  The swiss chard gave the broth an unexpected pink color so it's tasty and quite pretty.  Not bad for a shot in the dark!