20-Minute Chicken Tortellini Soup (Vegetarian Style)

You guys! You guys! I went grocery shopping today! As in, I bought food for multiple days!

I deserve a cookie. GOOD THING I BOUGHT THE STUFF TO MAKE SOME!

Anyway, it had been entirely too long since I last did a real grocery run. I've been buying enough to get by for a day or two for a while now because 'tis the season to run around like a loon. Which, funny thing, that. There was a delightful moment while I was running through the store that a woman about my age looked at my cart, looked at me, and then said, "It must be nice to have time to make all of those vegetables."

::blink::blink::blink::blink::blink::

I didn't bother to retort because I was too busy being proud of myself for buying more than a handful of things. But! In that woman's honor, I present to you 20-Minute Chicken Tortilla Soup. Just because you need to turn dinner around fast doesn't mean you can't start with fresh vegetables.

20-Minute Chicken Tortilla Soup (Vegetarian Style)

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 carrots
4 stalks celery
1 medium yellow onion
1 clove minced garlic
1 32-oz box vegetable broth
1 package Morningstar Chik'n Strips (or real meat equivalent)
1 19-oz package frozen tortellini
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Large skillet. Olive oil. Put those things together and then quickly chop up the carrots. Toss them into the oil and turn the heat on high. Then chop the celery. Toss that in and then chop up the onion. Toss it in and then toss in the garlic. Stir the vegetables occasionally while you work on the other steps.

2. We're trying to get this show on the road in less than 20 minutes, so start heating that broth in a large stock pot using hight heat.

3. When the carrots are sufficiently soft for your liking, toss the vegetables into the broth. Keep that skillet out, though, because you're going to use it to heat the chik'n. Or chicken. Whatever. Let the veggies simmer in that broth while you keep stirring the chik'n. It's done when it's lightly browned.

4. Use a fork to shred the chik'n.

5. Toss the chik'n into the broth and add the seasonings. Toss in the tortellini and continue to heat. Everything is done when the tortellini floats.

6. TAH-DAH! Homemade soup in less than 20 minutes! Or ... you could throw everything except the tortellini into a slow cooker and let it go for 4-6 hours. Add the tortellini for the last three to four minutes and TAH-DAH! Same difference!