Italian White Bean, Pancetta, and Tortellini Soup

So we tried this soup the other night, and although I knew my kids weren't a big fan of soup, I decided to go with this anyway, because it's easy and filling.  I like that the Swiss chard added color and made it healthier, and I like that this came together so quickly.  I found this in Every Day Pasta by Giada de Laurentiis, a cookbook I checked out from the library.  I used bacon instead of pancetta, and I added double the beans and the tortellini, because I like my soups filling, not brothy.  We all gave this a 6, because it wasn't bad, it just wasn't anything special.  We had some garlic bread with it, and overall it was a good meal.

Italian White Bean, Pancetta, and Tortellini Soup

3 T olive oil

4 oz pancetta, chopped

3 large shallots, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 15 oz cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

4 c chopped Swiss chard

6 c chicken broth

9 oz cheese tortellini

¼ t pepper

In a large, heavy soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the pancetta, shallots, carrot and garlic and cook until the pancetta is crisp, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the beans, Swiss chard, and broth.

Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer.  Add the tortellini and cook 5 minutes for fresh, 8 minutes for frozen, or until just tender.  Season with pepper and serve.