Description
Hearty sausage tortellini soup brings comfort straight from Italian kitchens with robust flavors and creamy textures. Simmering with tender pasta, savory sausage, and rich broth, you will savor each spoonful of this warming culinary embrace.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
Dairy:
- 2 cups half and half
- 10 ounces fresh cheese tortellini
Vegetables and Seasonings:
- 1 small white onion, diced (approximately 1/2 cup)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 23 handfuls fresh baby spinach (about 3 ounces)
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Cooking Liquid:
- 4 cups chicken broth
Cooking Fat:
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
Instructions
- Warm olive oil in a spacious pot over medium heat, sautéing diced onions until translucent and tender, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Incorporate Italian sausage into the pot, methodically crumbling the meat while cooking until it achieves a rich, golden-brown color and eliminates any raw pink appearance, roughly 5-6 minutes.
- Infuse the mixture with minced garlic, paprika, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, and salt, stirring thoroughly to distribute spices evenly and releasing their aromatic essence for 1-2 minutes.
- Stream chicken broth and half and half into the pot, whisking carefully to create a harmonious blend.
- Elevate the liquid to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat, allowing flavors to meld and intensify during a 10-minute gentle cooking period.
- Introduce fresh cheese tortellini directly into the simmering liquid, cooking precisely according to package instructions, typically 3-4 minutes until pasta reaches perfect tenderness.
- Gently fold fresh spinach into the soup, allowing leaves to wilt and integrate seamlessly within 1-2 minutes.
- Conduct a final taste assessment, adjusting seasoning with additional salt if necessary to enhance overall flavor profile.
- Ladle the steaming soup into serving bowls, presenting a comforting and aromatic culinary creation ready for immediate enjoyment.
Notes
- Customize Spice Levels by adjusting the amount of paprika and fennel seeds to match personal heat preferences.
- Choose Lean Sausage Options like turkey or chicken sausage for a lower-fat alternative that maintains robust flavor profiles.
- Enhance Vegetable Content by adding extra vegetables like diced carrots or zucchini during the onion cooking stage for increased nutrition.
- Make Gluten-Free by substituting regular tortellini with gluten-free cheese tortellini and ensuring chicken broth is certified gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 8-10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-24 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 460 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 710 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg