Sausage and Tortellini Soup with Kale

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A hearty, satisfying soup to warm you up on a cold winter day. Cheese tortellini, Italian sausage, and kale in a rich, tomato based broth.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time35 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 416kcal

2 tablespoons olive oil divided
1 pound ground mild Italian sausage (or uncooked links with casings removed)
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup diced yellow onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 small bunch kale I used lacinto kale, stems removed, chopped, rinsed, and drained
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes San Marzano tomatoes (real Italian tomatoes) are highly recommended
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 to 10 ounces cheese tortellini (refrigerated)
½ cup shredded Parmesan plus additional for garnish

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large pot or Dutch oven and place it over MEDIUM heat. Add the Italian sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and cook until completely crumbled and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to a double layer of paper towels and blot with additional paper towels to remove as much excess grease as possible. Pour off or wipe excess grease from the pan.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan and place it over MEDIUM heat. Add onion, garlic, kale, and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring, for two or three minutes, or until the onion has softened and the kale is slightly wilted. Add the chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, cooked sausage, Italian seasoning, and basil. Increase the heat to bring the mixture to a low boil then reduce the heat to LOW, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove the cover and stir in the tortellini. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes or until the tortellini is tender. Stir in the Parmesan and remove from the heat.
Garnish individual servings with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

To reheat leftovers, thin out to desired consistency with a little water or additional chicken broth before warming in the microwave.