Fall came on quick this year! It's been very gloomy, rainy, and chilly the past few days, so a big pot of soup was definitely needed. This soup starts as a bolognese sauce with broth, spinach, and tortellini added in. And let me tell ya, this soup is mouth-wateringly delicious, no lie. One of the best soups I've ever had!
INGREDIENTS
-1 white onion
-2 carrots
-2 celery stalks
-3 cloves garlic, grated
-***1lb Hot Italian sausage, casings removed
-1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
-28oz can crushed tomatoes
-32oz reduced sodium chicken broth
-1/2 bag baby spinach
-12oz store-bought cheese tortellini
-Fresh basil
-Fresh grated Parmesan
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables: peel and dice the carrots, dice the celery, and dice the white onion. Remove any stems from the spinach leaves and roughly chop (set aside).
2. Add the carrots, celery, and onion to the pot, and season with salt and pepper. Saute until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Next add the garlic, Italian sausage, and Italian seasoning to the soup pot. Crumble the sausage, mix with the vegetables, and cook until sausage is cooked through.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth to the pot and season with about 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce to a simmer, partially cover with a lid, and simmer for about 30 minutes. About 5 minutes before the soup is finished, stir the chopped spinach into the soup.
5. Meanwhile, bring a salted pot of water to a boil. About 10 minutes before the soup is finished (after the soup has simmered for 20 minutes), add the tortellini to the boiling water. Cook according to package directions. Once cooked, transfer the tortellini with a slotted spoon to the soup pot. Stir the tortellini into the soup.
6. Ladle the soup into a bowl. Chiffonade the fresh basil leaves, and garnish the soup with the chopped basil and fresh grated Parmesan.
***MM Option: To make this meal meatless, simply leave out the Italian sausage.
