When I'm sick, cold, tired, grumpy or just plain hungry, there's nothing I find more gratifying than a hot bowl of soup and sliced bread. Soup is an experience. From the calm, steady chopping of vegetables to the smells that waft through the house as the flavors simmer together on the stove top. I love how the steam rushes up from the bowl as the soup is ladled into it, and, my favorite, how those hunks of crusty, chewy bread soak up the last few drops of savory broth. Yup, soup and bread is about as satisfying as it gets.
Of all the soups I love to cook, smell, eat, and eat again, this is definitely my favorite. It's been a staple in our house since the early days of our marriage, and I still haven't found a recipe that tops it. I love it so much that last week I ate if for dinner, lunch the next day, lunch the day after that, and...wait for it...lunch the day after that too. It's just that good.
This soup is hearty and filling without being heavy. It's loaded with vegetables, spicy Italian sausage, and cheesy tortellini all in an herby tomato, beef, and wine broth. Just. Awesome.
This soup does take some time to prep and cook so if you're making this on a weeknight you may want to prep your veggies the night before or try it in the crock pot. Or save it for the weekend, when you have more time to enjoy the whole process. You can also feel free to experiment with the vegetables. I've added spinach and celery before or substituted a different kind of squash for the zucchini. Whichever way you choose, when you make this soup I guarantee you'll be cooking up a bowl full of satisfaction.
Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup
Yield: Makes 6-7 servings
Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground hot Italian sausage
1 small sweet onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups beef broth
1/2 cup water
1 cup red wine (or you can substitute an additional cup of beef broth)
1 can chopped tomatoes, undrained
1 can tomato sauce
4 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried basil)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 small or 1 large zucchini, sliced
8 oz. frozen cheese tortellini
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
1. In a large heavy bottomed pot, cook sausage over medium heat or until no pink remains. Drain all but 1 Tablespoon of fat. Add onion and garlic to the pan and saute 2 minutes.
2. Add broth, water, wine, chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, carrots, basil, and oregano to pot. Bring to a boil over medium high heat then reduce heat and simmer uncovered 30 minutes.
3. Stir in zucchini and parsley and simmer for 10 minutes. Add tortellini and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Serve hot with Parmesan cheese.
1 lb. ground hot Italian sausage
1 small sweet onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups beef broth
1/2 cup water
1 cup red wine (or you can substitute an additional cup of beef broth)
1 can chopped tomatoes, undrained
1 can tomato sauce
4 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried basil)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 small or 1 large zucchini, sliced
8 oz. frozen cheese tortellini
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
1. In a large heavy bottomed pot, cook sausage over medium heat or until no pink remains. Drain all but 1 Tablespoon of fat. Add onion and garlic to the pan and saute 2 minutes.
2. Add broth, water, wine, chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, carrots, basil, and oregano to pot. Bring to a boil over medium high heat then reduce heat and simmer uncovered 30 minutes.
3. Stir in zucchini and parsley and simmer for 10 minutes. Add tortellini and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Serve hot with Parmesan cheese.
Courtney!! I just made this last night and it was amazing!! I'm following your blog now, and hoping to make more of these great recipes :) Miss you guys!!
ReplyDeleteAbbey W.