Sausage and Kale Tortellini Soup

Hiiii, it's finally soup season!

You guys KNOW I love me some soup. As soon as there starts to be the faintest chill in the air, I am all IN on soup for dinner (let's be honest, sometimes I make it in the dead of summer. I just love it!)

This soup, like all great soups in my very humble and honest opinion, is so easy to make while also being loaded with different flavors and textures that make it so much more than a basic bowl of soup. With the first freeze of the season happening in New England today, you HAVE to be sure to add this Sausage and Kale Tortellini Soup to your menu.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I know you might be thinking...didn't you JUST post a recipe with sausage? What gives? And I would say to you that yes, yes I did. That is kind of sausage overload, but I do really and truly LOVE sausage. However, this wasn't my original schedule of posts. My PLAN was to share a pistachio and chocolate sour cream coffee cake with you all this week. But this, of course, is no cake recipe. In fact, my dreams of a pistachio and chocolate coffee cake are in the garbage after my bundt pan overflowed everywhere and the edges overcooked while the middle stayed raw. It was probably my biggest food fail to date, and it left me bitter towards any and all baked goods. But, when life gets you down, the best thing to do is turn back to what you're good at - for me, that's soup!!

Alright, so. What is it about this soup that makes it stand out among the hundreds of other soup recipes out there on Pinterest? First of all, tortellini. Perfect little stuffed pasta packages swimming in a flavorful broth among some of our favorite vegetables. To compliment the robust flavors in the sausage (which, by the way, I used chicken sausage here - it's a bit more tender than pork sausage, making it better for a soup) I steeped a bouquet garni in the broth while the veggies and pasta cook. This is a simple bundle of rosemary, parsley and sage, but the flavor benefits are out of this world!

I also love wilting in a leafy green to most soups, for flavor, texture and added nutrition, and my grocery store had the most beautiful bunches of kale that I had to scoop up for this. Rachel Ray always suggests adding in a bit of freshly grated nutmeg to really bring out the flavor of kale, so I finished off this soup in that exact way and let me tell you - between the nutmeg and the sage, this soup is filled with all those intoxicating, warming holiday season flavors that make my heart smile!

Here's what you need for Sausage and Kale Tortellini Soup* (Print Recipe!)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 pound chicken sausage, casings removed (turkey or pork sausage would also work)
4 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish if desired
3 sprigs fresh sage
1-2 sprigs fresh parsley
1 12-ounce package dried tortellini (I used Barilla Spinach and Ricotta)
2 cups packed kale, ribs removed and sliced into thin ribbons
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or 1/8 teaspoon dried nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
parmesan cheese, to serve

Here's what you do

In a large stockpot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and bay leaf, season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Cover and cook for 5 minutes until vegetables start to soften, stirring every minute or so.

Add the sausage and use your spoon to break up the meat. Cook until browned and crumbled. If using pork sausage, you may want to strain out some of the fat drippings (chicken or turkey sausage should be lean enough to skip this step).

Pour in the chicken stock and diced tomatoes, including all the juices. Stir to combine then increase heat to medium-high. Prepare a bouquet garni by tying together the rosemary, sage, and parsley sprigs with cooking twine. Add to the pot along with more salt and pepper and bring soup to a light boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.

Next, add the tortellini and sliced kale to the soup. Stir and continue simmering until the tortellini is cooked through and the kale is wilted and tender, about 10 minutes more. Remove the bouquet garni and bay leaf. Grate in 1/4 teaspoon of fresh nutmeg and adjust seasonings to taste. Serve topped with extra chopped rosemary and grated parmesan cheese, plus some crusty bread on the side.

Leftovers will keep in the fridge for a few days and also freeze well for up to a month. Thaw slightly and reheat over medium-low heat on the stove for best results!

*Gas Stove Girl Original Recipe