Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini and Kale

I never say no to a pretty bowl of soup. Bonus that this one is packed with healthy greens, hearty tortellini, has 28 grams of protein per serving and is oh-so-fast. This is the sort of satisfying, 480 calorie weeknight meal that everyone needs in their back pocket.

I’m working on a theory about tortellini. It goes something like this. Tortellini turns anything into a meal. Something about it is hearty + classy + downright delicious. Even those who would argue that soup is not a meal, will change their mind if tortellini is in the mix.

Even picky toddlers.

Picky toddlers LOVE tortellini. Take that one to the bank.

And little secret…

Adults love it too.

This soup was a particularly easy sell for Frank and me after we kicked off last week with a Sunday-night 7 course dinner at Kansas City’s new and fabulous Stock Hill. After all those indulgent courses (+ wine pairings!) we needed all the clean, simple soup we could get.

And this is it, friends. Hearty enough to leave you satisfied. Plus still a little virtuous.

Even virtuous enough to make up for a seven course dinner….or all those Sweet Potato Fry Nachos you *may* have eaten on Sunday.

Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini and Kale

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Simple, classy, and good enough that even soup-doubters will love it. This classic Italian soup has a bit of herby sausage and rich tortellini in every bite.

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

Recipe type: Soup, Main Dish

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 8 oz Tortellini
• 1 Tbsp Cooking Oil
• 8oz Italian Sausage
• ½ Onion, chopped
• 2 Carrots, chopped
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1 can (14oz) Diced Tomatoes (a variety with Italian seasonings or basil in the mix works great)
• 3 cups Chicken Stock
• 2 leaves Kale, finely chopped
• 2 stalks Fresh Thyme
• 1 can (15oz) Cannellini or White Beans, drained and rinsed
• ~1/2 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice, to taste
• 2 oz Parmesan, grated

Instructions

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions. (You can do this up to 3 days ahead, as I like do as part of my Sunday Prep.)
2. Place a Dutch Oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil and then Italian Sausage and saute, breaking sausage apart, until nearly cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Add onions, carrots and Italian seasoning and saute until onion softens, 2 to 3 minutes more.
3. Add tomatoes (including their liquid), stock, kale and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat so the soup maintains a low simmer and continue simmering for 5 minutes to let the flavors come together. While soup simmers, drain and rinse beans and grate parmesan (if not already grated).
4. Stir beans and into soup and simmer just until beans are heated through. Remove soup from heat and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Taste and add additional salt (I do often find this needs a bit more salt at the end, but that will depend on the natural saltiness of your sausage and stock.)
5. Divide tortellini into serving bowls. Ladle soup over tortellini (see note). Top with parmesan.

Notes

Cook pasta and soup separately to prevent overcooking the pasta. I like to combine them just before serving in individual bowls instead of in the soup pot. That way, if you go back for seconds or have leftovers, you can make a fresh bowl, combining the pasta and soup just before serving. No more soggy pasta!

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1½ cup soup Calories: 484 Total Fat: 23g Saturated fat: 9g Carbohydrates: 42g Sugar: 4g Sodium: 915mg Fiber: 8g Protein: 28g Cholesterol: 42g

3.5.3226

Here’s an accurate snap of what 8am looks like most days in our kitchen. Clara with crazy hair I haven’t yet tackled. Molly with a bag full of random treasures she starts trying to convince us she “needs” to take to school with her.