Italian Sausage & Tortellini Soup
Why I Love This Recipe
A great Autumn-Winter recipe from my friend, Jodi. It just gets better the longer it simmers!
Ingredients You'll Need
1 lb hot or mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1 lg onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled & chopped
4 cups beef or chicken broth
½ teasp. dried Italian herb seasoning
½ teasp. salt
¼ teasp. pepper
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 15 oz can chopped tomatoes, reserve juice
1 cups sliced mushrooms
1 pkg (10 oz) fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise & sliced
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbl. grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbl. minced garlic
hot pepper flakes (to taste)
Directions
In a large non-stick skillet, over medium-high heat, cook sausage 8-10 minutes, till cooked through, stirring often to break up meat. With a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to slow cooker. Add onions, carrots, broth, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic and hot pepper flakes to slow cooker. Cover & cook on low 6-8 hours, or on high 3-4 hours, until vegetables are tender. Cook tortellini according to package directions, drain and add to slow cooker, along with zucchini & parsley. Cover and cook an additional 15-20 minutes, until zucchini is tender. Spoon into individual bowls and top with parmesan.