Description
Rustic tortellini soup warms hearts with its Italian-inspired comfort. Cheese-filled pasta swims in a rich, herb-infused broth you’ll savor down to the last spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (453.6 g) Italian sausage (mild or spicy)
- 1 pkg (255 g) refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 1 (15 oz) (425 g) can white beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
- 4 cups (946 ml) chicken broth
- 1 (28 oz) (794 g) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups (475 ml) fresh spinach or kale, chopped
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream (optional, for a creamy version)
- ½ cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese (for serving)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional, for spice)
- ½ tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Fresh basil or parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Sausage Searing: Heat olive oil in a large pot and crumble sausage, cooking until golden-brown and releasing rich, savory aromas while developing deep flavor complexity.
- Aromatic Base: Add onions and garlic to the sausage, stirring with Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes to create a fragrant foundation for the soup, sautéing until onions become translucent and softened.
- Liquid Fusion: Pour crushed tomatoes and chicken broth into the pot, allowing the mixture to simmer and harmonize flavors for 10 minutes, creating a robust and hearty liquid base.
- Vegetable Integration: Fold white beans and leafy greens into the simmering broth, cooking until vegetables soften and release their nutrients, enhancing the soup’s depth and nutritional profile.
- Tortellini Completion: Introduce tortellini to the bubbling liquid, cooking until pasta becomes tender and plump, then enrich the soup with a swirl of heavy cream to create a luxurious, velvety texture.
- Final Touch: Assess and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, then serve in warm bowls topped with freshly grated Parmesan and delicate herbs like basil or parsley for a vibrant finishing flourish.
Notes
- Sausage Searing Secret: Break sausage into small, uniform pieces to ensure even browning and maximize caramelized flavor development.
- Herb Infusion Technique: Toast Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes briefly in the pot to release their essential oils and intensify their aromatic profile.
- Tortellini Timing Trick: Add tortellini towards the end of cooking to prevent overcooking and maintain their delicate texture and stuffed filling integrity.
- Cream Integration Hack: Temper heavy cream by adding a small amount of hot soup liquid before stirring into the pot to prevent curdling and ensure smooth, silky consistency.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 368
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 860 mg
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg