Brothy Tortellini and White Beans

This is less of a recipe meant to be followed precisely and more of a loose guide to making a very comforting meal.

I don’t know about you, but as soon as the first frost arrives, all I crave is broth—warm, comforting, aromatic broth. If you’ve been subscribed to the newsletter for a while, you’ve likely already made my herbal broth recipe. Feel free to omit the chicken if you’re vegetarian and load up on the vegetables or mushrooms instead.

I like to think of broths as a vehicle. Soothing in its own right, by simply adding in culinary and medicinal herbs, mushrooms, seaweed, and spices you can take your broth from boring to brilliant.

Broth shouldn’t only be reserved for making soups. It adds a richness that will liven up a pot of beans, tender grains, and even winter greens, and hard squash.

One of my favorite cool-weather meals is brothy beans and greens with lots of breadcrumbs and parmesan. Add a runny egg on top and it makes a hearty breakfast.

This is sort of a riff on the beans and greens dish, but more appropriate for dinnertime. I had some leftover store-bought mushroom tortellini and needed to make something quick on a night I didn’t have much energy.

Pasta swimming in a rich broth is exactly what I want to eat during the cooler months. It’s nourishing enough to not weigh you down, and you can pack in winter greens which I can’t seem to get enough of.

When I say greens I mean anything leafy and in abundance this time of year. Think chicories, escarole, kale, collards, even frozen spinach would be delightful.

I used radicchio and is one of my favorite ways to get a little bitter into my meals to help with sluggish digestion and eating heavier meals. Here’s a Radicchio and Persimmon Salad I shared last year if you need a little inspiration.

Other ways to add variation to this simple dish is swapping out the cannellini beans for those creamy Giant Royal Coronas or French lentils would be nice as well. I’ve served this with herby meatballs or shredded chicken for more protein and I could see roasted squash adding layer of sweetness to compliment the salty parmesan.

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