Sausage Tortellini Soup

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb mild Italian sausage (About 4 links; casings removed)
• 1.25 cup yellow onion (Chopped (about 1 1/4 cups))
• 1 cup carrots (Small; peeled and chopped (about 1 cup))
• 1 cup celery (Chopped (about 1 cup))
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 0.5 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp garlic (Minced (from 3 cloves))
• 2 tbsp aged sherry vinegar
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (Small)
• 1 tbsp Parmigiano-Reggiano (Grated; divided between the soup and garnish)
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs (Plus thyme leaves for garnish)
• 10 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini (1 package)
• 1 cup heavy cream (At room temperature)
• 4 cups fresh baby spinach (Roughly chopped)

Steps

1. 1

   Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.

2. 2

   Add the sausage. Cook, stirring often and breaking it into small chunks, until browned, about 6 minutes.

3. 3

   Use a slotted spoon to transfer the browned sausage to a plate, leaving the oil in the Dutch oven.

4. 4

   Add the onion, carrots, celery, salt, and black pepper. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until softened, about 8 minutes.

5. 5

   Add the minced garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

6. 6

   Add the aged sherry vinegar. Cook for about 30 seconds, scraping up the browned bits, until the vinegar has completely reduced.

7. 7

   Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly toasted, about 1 minute.

8. 8

   Gradually stir in the chicken stock until well incorporated.

9. 9

   Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano rind and thyme sprigs.

10. 10

    Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat.

11. 11

    Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the flavors meld and vegetables are tender, 12 to 15 minutes.

12. 12

    Remove the rind and thyme sprigs. Discard the thyme sprigs; reserve the softened rind for a snack, or chop it and add it back to the soup if desired.

13. 13

    Add the tortellini and cooked sausage. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tortellini is tender, 2 to 3 minutes.

14. 14

    Reduce the heat to low.

15. 15

    Stir in the heavy cream and spinach. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.

16. 16

    Divide the soup evenly among 6 bowls. Garnish each bowl with 1 tablespoon of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and thyme leaves. Serve immediately.

Notes

Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently over low heat, adding more stock if needed to loosen. To freeze, store the broth without the pasta or cream for up to 2 months; add tortellini and cream after reheating. For a vegetarian variation, use vegetable broth and chopped mushrooms instead of the chicken stock and sausage. The source does not specify the weight of the small Parmesan rind or the amount of extra thyme leaves.

Nutrition per serving

• soup
• main
• Italian
• comfort food
• one-pot
• creamy
• make-ahead