Sun-Dried Tomato Tortellini Soup - not!

I made the soup mentioned two posts ago for lunch today. Some of the reviews had mentioned "next time I make this I will add extra broth" and as I was ladling some into my plastic bowl for work it seemed fine to me. Got home, checked the pot, WAY too chunky. What happened to the broth?! I don't know.

So, as for the flavor/texture. Not very exciting. I was actually fairly disappointed. The bok choy was tasteless, the sun-dried tomatoes had an odd flavor/texture to them, the carrots and celery were a bit undercooked (which was probably my fault because I was rushing to get it done and didn't saute them as long as the recipe suggested), and for the first time I had the same sentiment my husband always has whenever I make vegetable soups: "Needs more meat." The tortellini was okay, though I don't think this was the right vehicle for them. The broth was the wrong flavor for it, and unfortunately I used 3/4 of the bag on this stupid soup, leaving me only a handful or two to thaw and pour spaghetti sauce on.

This made me wish I had instead made a soup I did well over a year ago. It had roasted red peppers rather than sun-dried tomatoes, as well as spinach, alfredo sauce, and some other things. Obviously I didn't, and can't really without major substitutions since I'm on a diet and alfredo sauce is no good for you, and I'm regretting it now.

So, rather than post the tortellini soup recipe, which I won't make again without major (fundamental) changes, I'll post the recipe for Florentine Chicken Soup, which is what I had hoped I was making a non-cream soup version of.

Florentine Chicken Soup (from Cooking for 2, fall 2005)

1 c uncooked penne or tube pasta
1 pkg ready-to-use chicken breast cuts
4 c chopped fresh spinach
1 jar (7.25 oz) roasted red peppers, drained and sliced
3 fresh rosemary sprigs, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp butter
1.5 c reduced sodium chicken broth
3/4 c alfredo sauce
3 tbsp pesto
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
1 tbsp shredded Parmesan

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, saute chicken, spinach, red peppers, rosemary, garlic powder and peppers in butter until spinach is wilted.

Stir in broth, alfredo sauce, and pesto; cook for 4-5 minutes or until cooked through. Drain pasta and add to soup. Garnish with pine nuts and Parmesan.

Yield: 5 cups