Yummy hearty soup – so good on a winter day! Although it’s not technically winter as I write this, it is cold and blustery and the Chicago forecast says it is going to snow, which makes me think of warming, comforting things to make, which leads me to a recipe for sausage tortellini soup.

I need to credit my future mother in law for this one. It was absolutely phenomenal to slurp down after making a 6 hour trek to her house, and I am not trying to earn bonus points here. The soup works on so many levels because it’s both filling (thank you tortellinis) and fresh (thank you zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, and green pepper) and uh, delicious. Really, super delicious to the point I eat too much and feel as though I can’t eat anymore, then while putting the soup into containers feel compelled to pick out vegetables and tortellinis.

I made variations to the original recipe because I tend to cook with chicken and turkey, so if you are wondering how this would taste with pork sausage, by all means go for the real thing.  Just drain some of the fat (per recipe instruction) and omit the olive oil in the recipe below. Also, the original calls for beef stock instead of chicken.

If all the above doesn’t woo you to make this soup yet, make it because it’s fun – throwing all the ingredients into one pot and letting it simmer has some kind of throwing caution to the wind feeling, like you are leaving dinner in the pot’s hands now, which leaves you free to do more important things. Like make garlic bread.

Sausage Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound chicken sausage, casings removed, crumbled 
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 medium tomatoes, peeled
• 1 zucchini chopped
• 3-4 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 t0 10 ounces uncooked tortellini (I buy a frozen brand allowing the soup to be done quicker)
• shredded parmesan cheese for serving

How To:

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat and add onions and sausage. Cook, stirring occasionally. Once onions are soft and mixture is fragrant, add the rest of the ingredients except tortellini. Let simmer for 30 minutes.

Add tortellini and let simmer another 30 minutes.

Ladle into bowls and serve with parmesan cheese. Yes, it’s that easy.

You can make this soup ahead by following recipe through the first simmer. When you are ready to eat, heat soup and add tortellini, simmer for 30 minutes or less if using frozen tortellini.