This is a quick meal that feeds a lot of people. It makes nearly a gallon of soup. It is all the food groups in one bowl, meats, dairy, vegetables, and grains. Served alone or with your favorite salad you can get a variety of nutrients in one sitting. The bean puree adds richness, fiber and flavor.
This is the kind of recipe that is meant to describe measurement and the process but is perfect for improvising with what you have on hand in your pantry, freezer and refrigerator. Some suggestions for change ups are in the notes following the recipe.
Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup with Greens
Equipment
- Stock Pot
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Avocado Oil
- 1 lb Mild Italian Sausage, ground
- 1 lg Yellow Onion, diced
- 1/2 cup Celery, diced
- 8 oz Mushrooms, sliced thin
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 med Carrots, peeled and diced
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup Dry White Wine
- 2 qts Chicken or Vegetable Stock
- 8 oz Fresh or Frozen Tortellini Your choice of flavor
- 10 oz Chard, Kale or Spinach Use a hearty greens
Bean Puree
- 1 can 15 oz. Cannelli Beans, drained
- 1/4 cup Water increase up to 1/2 cup for desired consistency
Instructions
- Warm avocado oil in a 6-8 quart stock pot over medium- high heat.
- Add sausage and cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks.
- Remove cooked sausage from stock pot with a slotted spoon to a bowl, and set aside.
- Remove all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot. Typically the sausage is lean and you won’t need to drain any off. Otherwise, remove any excess.
- Add the onions and celery. Cook til translucent and just starting to brown
- Add the mushrooms and salt and cook until they have released all their moisture and start to brown. Onions and mushrooms should start to carmelizing in the pot at this point.
- Add the carrots and cook until they are soft, maybe browned in places.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds to one minute. Do not let the garlic brown
- Add white wine to deglaze the pot.
- Return sausage to the pot and add the chicken stock, Bring to a rapid simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to medium lower the simmer.
- Return sausage to the pot and add the chicken stock, Bring to a rapid simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to medium lower the simmer.
- While tortellini cooks, prepare bean puree. Combine drained beans, vinegar and water and puree using an immersion blender, food processor or countertop blender.
- When tortellinis are done cooking, add the greens and cook until just barely wilted. This reduces the volume of the greens but doesn’t overcook them as you proceed to the next steps.
- Add bean puree and cream and stir to blend.
- Taste and adjust salt, pepper and vinegar as desired.
Notes
- Use spicy Italian Sausage if that is your thing. You can also use meatballs, browning them as you would the sausage to make a meatball and tortellini soup. The seasoning and type of meat used in the meatballs will change the flavor of the overall dish.
- Garnish with grated parmesan, red pepper flakes, pesto or fresh herbs if desired.
- Avocado oil may be substituted with Olive oil.
- Change it up and make it your own using different vegetable combinations. Fozen peas or corn would be a great add just before cooking the tortellini.
- You can meal prep and freeze this soup by preparing it without the tortellini. When ready to use frozen portions, cook the tortellini separately and then add to the thawed soup base to finish the soup.
- Soup will keep for about 5 days refrigerated, but the tortellini will continue to soak up the stock in the soup and get softer.