creamy-sausage-cheese-tortellini-soup

Winter Best Food

Creamy Sausage & Cheese Tortellini Soup

This cheese tortellini soup is a quick meal to throw together on a weeknight, and a crowd-pleaser if you have company. If you like soup with a kick, opt for hot Italian sausage. Tortellini, like any pasta, will soak up the broth as it sits, so if you're making it ahead of time, cook the tortellini separately and add it just before serving.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound mild or hot Italian pork sausage, casings removed
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion
  • ½ cup chopped carrot
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
  • 1 teaspoon salt-free dried Italian seasoning
  • 3 cups unsalted chicken broth
  • 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, undrained
  • 1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated cheese tortellini (such as Buitoni)
  • 3 ½ cups baby spinach
  • 1 cup half-and-half

Directions

  1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook, stirring to crumble, until browned and no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add onion and carrot; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and Italian seasoning; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  2. Stir in broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium to maintain a simmer; cook, covered, until the carrots are tender, about 5 minutes.
  3. Uncover and return to a boil over high heat. Add tortellini. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle boil; cook according to package directions.
  4. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in spinach and half-and-half. Stir gently until the spinach wilts, about 1 minute. Ladle the soup into 6 bowls.