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italian soup in a white bowl
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4.43 from 7 votes

Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini and Kale

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.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Dish, Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: 30-minute meal, easy dinner
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

Equipment

  • Dutch Oven or Large Saucepan

Ingredients

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

Instructions

  • 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.)
  • 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.
  • 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).
  • 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.)
  • 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

Serving: 1g | Calories: 471kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 951mg | Potassium: 590mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 7966IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 160mg | Iron: 3mg