Sausage Tortellini Soup

This is a really easy stove top recipe that totally fits into the comfort food category. Being Italian and from back east (originally) when I think of pasta, I think 'ahhh...'.

Sausage Tortellini Soup

Chicken Sausage- links or ground, you can substitute any type of meat sausage you prefer
Yellow Onion, diced
Garlic- about 3 cloves, minced
Low Sodium Chicken Stock- 4-6 cups, depending on your preference
2 can diced tomatoes
Small package of refrigerated tortellini- I use the whole wheat tortellini, the whole wheat makes me feel better about eating cheese filled pasta
Fresh Spinach, roughly chopped
Italian Seasoning- basil, oregano
Fresh Parmesan cheese

In a dutch oven, brown your chicken sausage in a bit of olive oil. If you have link sausage you can run a knife down the center of the sausage to free it of its casing, Or you can do my favorite method which is twisting the sausage in the center and squeezing the meat out from either side. It is fun, I swear.

Once cooked through, add the diced onion. Saute until slightly tender. Add the minced garlic and cook for no longer than a minute.

Add the cans of diced tomatoes and their juices.

Add in the chicken stock. I usually go for 6 cups because I like this soup a bit more liquidy.

Season with your Italian Seasonings. I use dried basil and dried oregano and I totally eye-ball the mesurements. You can make life even simpler by buying a bottle of Italian Seasonings pre-mixed.

Bring the soup to a rolling boil.

Add in the refrigerated tortellini and cook 2 minutes less than the package directions.

Add in a lot of fresh spinach! I probably use at least 3 cups, as it cooks down so much. Cook aout 2 minutes longer, until the tortellini is done.

Taste and salt and pepper if you please.
BUT if you prefer (which I do) to add freshly grated, creamy parmesan cheese, then hold off on the salt.

I hope you enjoy it as much as this little nugget did!