Description
This Spicy Sausage and Tortellini Soup is a hearty and flavorful dish featuring spicy Italian sausage, cheese tortellini, and fresh greens in a creamy tomato broth. Perfect for warming up on a chilly day, this soup combines bold spices with tender pasta and savory sausage for a comforting meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Dairy
- 1 lb spicy Italian sausage, casing removed
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Produce
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups fresh spinach or kale, roughly chopped
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Pantry Items
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 9 oz cheese tortellini
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat Olive Oil: In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat to prepare for cooking the sausage.
- Cook Sausage: Add the spicy Italian sausage to the pot and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon. This process should take about 5-7 minutes to ensure the meat is fully cooked and flavorful.
- Remove Sausage: Use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage from the pot and set it aside. Discard most of the excess fat but leave about 1 tablespoon in the pot to sauté the vegetables.
- Sauté Onions: Add the diced onions to the pot and sauté for about 4 minutes or until they become translucent and soften, creating a flavorful base for the soup.
- Add Aromatics: Stir in the minced garlic, red pepper flakes, dried oregano, and dried basil. Cook for another 30 seconds until these ingredients are fragrant and integrated into the onion mixture.
- Simmer Broth: Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices and the chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it cook for 10 minutes to develop the soup’s flavors.
- Add Cream: Stir in the heavy cream and bring the soup back up to a gentle simmer to create a smooth and rich broth.
- Cook Tortellini: Add the cheese tortellini to the soup and cook according to the package instructions, usually about 7-9 minutes, until the pasta is tender and cooked through.
- Return Sausage: Add the cooked sausage back into the pot. Season the soup with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, adjusting the flavors as needed.
- Add Greens: Mix in the fresh spinach or kale and let them wilt in the hot soup for about 2 minutes, adding color and nutrition.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with chopped fresh parsley, and sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top. Serve hot and enjoy.
Notes
- You can substitute spinach with kale or other leafy greens as preferred.
- Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to control the spiciness of the soup.
- For a lighter version, substitute heavy cream with half-and-half or milk, but the soup will be less creamy.
- Leftover soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
- If you prefer a milder sausage, use sweet Italian sausage instead of spicy.
