Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup

Submitted By: Cathy Chumley

Ingredients

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage or chorizo sausage, casings removed
• 1 cups onions, chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, sliced
• 5 cups beef stock or canned broth
• 2 cups (3/4 pound) tomatoes, chopped
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 large zucchini, sliced
• 1 large carrot, sliced

1 medium green bell pepper, diced

2 tablespoons dried basil

2 tablespoons dried oregano

8 to 10 ounces purchased fresh cheese tortellini

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Sauté sausage in heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crumbled and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to large bowl. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings from Dutch oven. Add onion and garlic to Dutch oven and sauté until translucent in color, about five minutes. Return sausage to Dutch oven. Add stock, tomatoes, tomato sauce, zucchini, carrots, bell pepper, basil, and oregano. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes. Add tortellini to soup and cook until tender, about eight minutes. Season soup to taste. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Note: Can be prepared two days ahead, omitting the tortellini. Cover and refrigerate. When ready to serve, bring to a simmer, then add tortellini.