Creamy Italian Sausage and Spinach Tortellini Soup

I've never really liked making soup. 

Well, unless it's Mom's Chicken Pasta Chowder (recipe coming soon), or her White Turkey Chili. Maybe it's the flavor of the store-bought chicken broth (who has time to make homemade?) Or, the fact that it's just messy to deal with leftovers... and even messier to eat. 

But with a few new additions to my pantry, and my microwave-ware (yes, I said microwave... see more below). I've grown to not only love making soup now, but I've also branched out to making more unusual soups like this Creamy Italian Sausage and Spinach Tortellini Soup.

My husband insists that he doesn't like Italian sausage, and I'll admit I'm not the biggest fan either. But, in this soup, it adds a bit of heat, with the mild variety, and a depth of flavor that I don't think could be achieved with just plain ground turkey or beef. He still doesn't know what the real meat is in this soup, but he admitted to it being his favorite soup that I've ever made, and don't get me started on how much he loves Mom's Chicken Pasta Chowder. I think I'd have to agree.

So, more on my disdain for soup.

Until recently, I'd never found a chicken broth that I really enjoyed. The Simple Truth Organic Free Range Chicken Stock (from Harris Teeter) is so flavorful and adds a really nice base to any soup. If you don't have a Harris Teeter in your area, at least try a chicken stock rather than a chicken broth.

And the leftovers? I keep this soup in its pot with the lid on in the fridge, and then, when we want to heat it up, we simply scoop the soup out (I keep a plastic 1/2 c. measuring cup in the pot to make it easier) into these microwave noodle cookers. Perfect portions and one less dish to wash compared to reheating on the stovetop in a smaller saucepan. Plus, the lid keeps any splattering contained while microwaving. It even has a built-in vent to let the steam out while it reheats. Once we're done eating, into the dishwasher they go, for a super easy cleanup. 

I also bought two sets of these soup spoons from Amazon. It's amazing how much we use them, for more than soup, even. But the perfect shape and size of them make eating soup more enjoyable as well. Plus, they wash up great in the dishwasher and have lasted for years. I originally bought them for my folks, who were aging, and using forks got harder to navigate. These made everyday eating easier, from cereal and ice cream to cut-up chicken and peas. They're also the perfect size to spoon out muffin batter into muffin cups before baking.

Creamy Italian Sausage and Spinach Tortellini Soup

Serves 6

16 oz. ground mild Italian sausage

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 Tblsp. flour

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped small

1/2 a large onion, diced

6 c. chicken stock (see the brand I love above)

10 oz. refrigerated cheese tortellini (I like Buttoni brand)

4 c. baby spinach, stems removed 

1/4 c. heavy cream

Salt to taste (this depends on how salty your chicken broth is. I used  a few pinches)

Add the ground sausage to a medium soup pot and break it up. Cook over medium-high heat until mostly cooked through. Add the Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes and cook for about a minute. Then add in the flour and cook for another minute, until the sausage has absorbed the flour.

Then add in the diced onion and carrots and a pinch of salt. If you need some liquid to saute them, add a bit of chicken broth to the pan. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until the carrots are crisp-tender.

Next, turn up the heat to high. Once boiling, add the tortellini and turn down the heat to medium so the pasta doesn't cook too quickly. Cook according to the package directions, about 5 minutes (remember they will continue cooking a bit in the next step, plus while cooling down in the pot). Add in the spinach and cook for a minute or two until wilted. Then add in the cream and again cook for about a minute. 

Test for seasonings and add salt as needed. 

Adapted from the Mon Petit Four blog.