This soup HITS every. single. time.
I am finally putting this recipe on paper (virtually?) after recommending it to friends for years and trying to type it out every time they’ve asked.

Makes: 6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

1 lb spicy pork sausage
2 tbsp evoo (extra-virgin olive oil)
1 medium yellow onion
1 cup carrots - diced
1 cup celery - diced
3 cloves of garlic - minced
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsps flour
6 cups of chicken broth
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup heavy cream or milk
1 lb cheese tortellini
3 cups of kale chopped
shaved parmesan cheese (for garnish)
salt and pepper

Instructions:

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add the spicy sausage and break apart while browning. Once brown and mostly cooked through, remove the sausage and set aside on a plate. Add the yellow onion, celery, and carrots and sauté until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Add in the garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes and sauté for one more minute. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the sausage back into the pot. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and sausage and stir until coated. Add in the chicken broth. Add in the tomato paste and stir. Add the heavy cream/milk and bring to a simmer.
Add in the tortellini and simmer for about 7 minutes until the tortellini has swelled and begun to float.
Add in the Kale right before serving and taste for salt and pepper.
Serve with shaved parmesan cheese, if desired.

Make it dairy-free

Trade in the cheese tortellini for a regular pasta like penne or rigatoni. And replace the milk/heavy cream with either coconut milk or almond milk to help keep the soup creamy and thick.

storing and reheating

This soup rarely has leftovers when my friends are visiting, but I make it just for myself, it stores perfectly in the fridge or freezer. As the soup sits together in an airtight container or ziplock, the flavors meld and it becomes even more delicious.
It can continue to thicken as it sits, so when you reheat it, feel free to add a bit of water or chicken broth to loosen it up. If you’ve frozen it, you can either thaw it overnight in the fridge or add your ziplock to a bowl of hot water. Once thawed, simply heat it over medium heat until hot.