Sausage Tortellini Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound ground Italian turkey sausage (removed from the casings if needed)
• 1 large yellow onion (chopped, about 2 cups)
• 1 large fennel bulb (chopped, about 2 cups)
• 3 large carrots (chopped, about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 cloves garlic minced (about 1 tablespoon)
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 5 to 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 4 cups chopped kale (or spinach)
• 1 (9-ounce) package tortellini ((I used 3-cheese))
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup heavy cream or half-and-half (optional but very good)
• Finely grated Parmesan cheese (for serving)
• Chopped fresh parsley (optional for serving)

Steps

1. 1

   Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or similar large, deep soup pot. Add the sausage and begin breaking apart the meat. Once it is fairly broken up, add the onion, fennel, carrots, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook and break up the sausage, until it is browned and cooked through and the onion is turning translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. 2

   Add the tomato paste and garlic and cook stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over the top. Stir and cook for 1 full minute to remove any raw flour taste.

3. 3

   Slowly pour in 5 cups of the chicken broth, stirring to scrape up any bits that are stuck along the bottom of the pan. Add the Italian seasoning. Stir to combine.

4. 4

   Increase the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and let simmer for 5 minutes, until the carrots are tender.

5. 5

   Stir in the tortellini and kale,* then the heavy cream. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, and simmer until the tortellini is cooked through and the kale is tender, about 5 minutes. If the soup is thicker than you would like, add the remaining chicken broth until your desired consistency is reached.

6. 6

   Stir in the red wine vinegar. Serve hot, topped with lots of Parmesan and a sprinkle of parsley.