Curry Tortellini Soup

My mom found this great recipe around Thanksgiving, and I enjoyed it so much I wanted to try it myself. I cooked a triple batch of soup for my friends to have after the Boston Tree Lighting. I made it several hours in advance and threw it on the stove right before serving. This recipe is incredibly flavorful and surprisingly easy to make. For a curry dish it's relatively mild so it's great for a large crowd, just enough spice but not too spicy!
When I made this dish, I replaced the chicken broth with vegetable broth since a lot of my friends are vegetarians, but I've had it both ways and I didn't notice any difference. Also, I chose to use fresh coconut milk from a carton, not the condensed canned kind. I did not garnish it with peanuts but if you're looking for a little crunch it might be a good idea.

Curry Tortellini Soup
Serves: 4  Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. curry powder
1 Tbs. cooking oil
1 14 1/2- oz. can chicken broth
1 14-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
1 9-oz. package cheese tortellini
1 Tbs. snipped fresh basil
1 medium tomato, chopped

Directions
In a medium saucepan cook shallot, jalapeno pepper, garlic, and curry powder in hot oil about 1 minute or until shallot is tender.  Stir in chicken broth.  Bring to boiling;  reduce heat.  Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
Stir in the coconut milk, tortellini, and basil.  Cook and stir about 5 minutes more or until pasta is tender but still firm.  Stir in the tomato.  Cook and stir until heated through, but do not boil.

If desired, garnish each serving with chopped peanuts.