Turkey Italian Sausage and Cheese Tortellini Soup
Servings 8
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1½ tbsp olive oil divided
- 5 Italian sausages removed from casing and formed into small balls (turkey or pork)
- 1 small onion diced
- 4 stalks of celery diced
- 4 carrots peeled and diced
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to taste
- 9 oz package of cheese tortellini
- 8 cups of chicken broth
- 2 cups baby spinach
Serving:
- Fresh basil chopped
- Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Remove the turkey Italian sausage from the casings, pinch it into small pieces, and roll it into small balls. Repeat with the remaining sausage.
- Heat ½ tablespoon of olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Place the balls into the Dutch oven and cook, stirring often to prevent sticking, for 1-2 minutes. Remove the balls to a bowl and set them aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the Dutch oven if needed, then add the onion, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring often and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the chicken broth, the turkey Italian sausage balls, and their juices. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the cheese tortellini and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Side Note: If you aren't eating the whole pot of soup during the meal and want leftovers, cook the tortellini in a separate large pot of well-salted water to al dente, according to the package instructions. Drain and add tortellini to the bowls as you serve. Store cooked pasta separately from the soup; otherwise they will become mushy & will soak up most of the soup broth.
- Stir in the spinach and basil. Taste and re-season if needed.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy.