1Tbspfresh celery leavesdill, parsley or green onions to garnish
Instructions
Remove casing from sausage and sauté over medium high heat until browned. Remove from pot and set aside letting fat drip off. Remove all but 1 Tbsp of fat in pot.
Add onion, celery, carrots and cook until slightly softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute. If pot is too dry, add a little water to prevent burning. Stir frequently.
Add seasoning and cook just to release aroma, 30 seconds.
Add tomato paste, canned tomatoes, soup stock and lemon juice or vinegar. Scrape off any browned bits from bottom of pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, add bay leaf and Parmesan rind (if using), cover and simmer until vegetables are almost tender, 10-15 minutes.
Add tortellini and diced sweet peppers and cook another 5 minutes.
Add spinach and let simmer for another 3 minutes.
Stir in cream and heat through. Do not boil as boiling may cause curdling.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove bay leaf and Parmesan rind.
Remove from heat and garnish with celery leaves, parsley, dill or chopped green onions.
Video
Notes
* if you have it, use rind or end of Parmesan cheese to add extra umami flavor to your soupThis soup is not ideal for freezing due to the cream and tortellini. If you wish to prepare some in advance, prepare the soup up to step 5 and add the tortellini, cream and spinach when ready to use.Don't be afraid to make this soup your own! This soup can handle a change out or mix and match of your favorite vegetables. Just be sure to stick to the same total cups of veggies as you swap in your faves or you may dilute the flavor too much.Flavor note: This recipe is based on using a flavorful, Italian spicy sausage. You can swap in a mild version and still get the full Italian seasoned flavor, but if you decide to use chicken or beef instead of sausage, you'll need to add more seasoning to the soup broth!