A DASH of Cooking: Creamy Tortellini Soup

This hearty and creamy tortellini soup is a tasty way to warm up on the chilliest of days. With Italian sausage, tomatoes, kale, and cheesy stuffed pasta, this is sure to be a new family favorite.

It’s Soup Season!

Finally, my favorite time of year has come again! Some people pay attention to when the leaves are falling or flowers are blooming. I pay attention to when temperatures change and I can legitimately start making soups and stews again. I love soups and stews because of the instant nourishing feeling I get whenever I tuck into a bowl of rich brothy goodness. Give me some bread dip and wipe my bowl clean at the end, and I am the happiest camper you’d ever see.

Another reason soups and stews are one of my favorite meals is because of how easy they are to make. A big pot of soup is a great way to use up some extra vegetables too. Give me a couple carrots, a little celery, and an onion and you have the base to most of the best loved soups and stews. Throw in pretty much any meat and some broth and you have yourself a tasty dinner.

Why I Love Creamy Tortellini Soup

This soup is especially good to make because of the pasta. The tortellini are just a package of basic store-bought refrigerated cheese tortellini, but are delicious with the other ingredients and make a fun addition. We all love pasta, but our waistlines can’t afford us constantly eating plates of it. So having a few mixed in with some other healthy ingredients is a nice way to still indulge a little.

I also really like making this soup because it really is a great way to use up some extra veg or utilize some of the more unique herbs from my garden. This soup requires fennel, which can be a hard to love vegetable and herb on its own because of its black licorice flavor. I find that when cooked, fennel takes on a very different flavor profile and really makes this soup stand out compared to many other recipes in my repertoire.

To make this recipe really special, add a rind of some parmesean cheese into the pot while it’s simmering. This really helps create a rich base and accents the tomatoes very nicely. Your family will definitely be coming back for seconds after trying this soup!

How to Make Creamy Tortellini Soup

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens, Special Interest Publications. “Tuscan Tortellini Stew.” Soups & Stews, 2018, p. 5.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Italian pork sausage
• 32oz. carton of chicken stock
• 28oz. can of diced San Marzano tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced, or 1 cup chopped fennel fronds
• 1 diced onion
• 1 bunch kale, thick stems removed, chopped.
• 9oz. package refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 small rind of Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

1. In a pot or dutch oven, cook sausage over medium heat until browned.
2. Add diced onion and fennel to the pot and cook until onion becomes semi-translucent.
3. Next, add the chicken stock, diced tomatoes, basil, oregano, garlic, and Parmesan rind. Bring to a boil before reducing to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes.

4. Add chopped kale, cream, and tortellini to the pot. Bring back up to a simmer and cook covered another 30 minutes or until tortellini are tender.

5. Remove soup from heat and serve. Top with more Parmesan cheese if desired.