Sausage Tortellini Soup

With sausage, kale, basic seasonings, broth and cream, this 30-minute dish is quick and simple to prepare.

Make sure to serve this alongside some biscuits or garlic bread with cheese!

Await your first bite of this soup. You'll surely add this to your collection of go-to soup recipes, especially considering that it's a 30-minute supper that includes noodles, vegetables, and a protein.

Although the ingredients list for my recipe includes mustard powder and hot sauce, don't be alarmed. They offer a very delicate touch and complement the other flavours in the recipe, providing a wonderful foundation for the soup.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground Italian sausage, hot or mild
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• 1 pinch cayenne, optional
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• ½ teaspoon mustard powder
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups kale, chopped
• 2 cups refrigerated tortellini, just under 10 oz.
• Salt/ to taste

Instructions

1. Even though you might be afraid to add them, I highly recommend it because the mustard powder and spicy sauce are so subtly flavorful in this soup and help bring out the other flavours.
2. If you bought links, remove the casings from the sausage. Over medium-high heat, sauté and crumble the sausage with the diced onions until the onions are softened and the sausage is thoroughly cooked, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove grease. Cook the garlic for a minute after adding it.
3. To get rid of the taste of raw flour, add the flour and simmer for one to two minutes.
4. Add the pepper, red pepper flakes, mustard powder, cayenne, basil, oregano, hot sauce, and hot sauce. To blend, stir.
5. A silicone spatula should be used to "clean" the pot's bottom before adding the chicken stock. Stir slowly into that thick cream. Simmer after bringing to a boil.
6. Stir in the tortellini and greens, then simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. 
7. If necessary, salt the soup according to taste. Start with ¼ teaspoon and add more if necessary.
8. Serve after transferring to serving bowls! 

Notes

• For this recipe, I use RANA chilled tortellini with cheese filling. For this recipe, I also add Texas Pete hot sauce; Frank's hot sauce is also fantastic!
• When adding the stock, add the rind from a block of Parmesan or Romano cheese and let it simmer to enhance the flavour of the soup. After cooking, any that is left over can be thrown away. You probably won't need to add salt if you do this.
• Instead of kale, you can substitute 2-3 cups of spinach; add it after the tortellini is cooked, and let it sit for 30 seconds to wilt.

Crop top method

On the burner, cook the sausage and onions while adding the flour according to steps 2 and 3.

Add everything to the slow cooker minus the cream, tortellini, and spinach.

Cook it for 4-5 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low.

At the very end, stir in the kale and let it heat up for 10 to 15 minutes.

Cut the heat. Tortellini should be prepared. Place cooked tortellini in serving plates and ladle soup on top. Temper the cream in the microwave for 45 seconds, then slowly stir it in.

Storage

• Store in an airtight container and either freeze for three months or refrigerate for up to three days. Keep in mind that while being stored, the tortellini will continue to absorb broth. Tortellini can be boiled separately and placed right into serving bowls if you like.
• Although this soup freezes nicely, I advise cooking the tortellini separately to prevent it from absorbing too much stock or becoming overly soft.
• Try my chicken tortellini soup recipe after that!
• The nutritional data is approximate and per serving. 1 cup is the serving size, and this recipe yields roughly 10 cups.

Pro tips

• When adding the stock, add the rind from a block of Parmesan or Romano cheese and let it simmer to enhance the flavour of the soup. After cooking, any that is left over can be thrown away. You probably won't need to add salt if you do this.
• Instead of kale, you can substitute 2-3 cups of spinach; add it after the tortellini is cooked, and let it sit for 30 seconds to wilt. When using frozen spinach, defrost it first and then pat it dry before adding it.
• For this recipe, I use RANA chilled tortellini with cheese filling. For this recipe, I also add Texas Pete hot sauce; Frank's hot sauce is also excellent.