Part of:
Soups
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound loose sweet Italian sausage or sausage links, casings removed (optional)
- 1 medium white or yellow onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried fennel seeds
- Salt and black pepper
- Crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (28-ounce) can tomato purée
- 8 cups (64 ounces) vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 (9- to 10-ounce) package refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini
- 1 ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 bunch Tuscan (lacinato) kale, leaves stripped and chopped
- ½ cup roughly chopped fresh basil
- 1 lemon, juiced
- Grated Parmesan, for serving {
Instructions:
- If using the sausage, heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high (if not using sausage, heat the oil on medium, then proceed to Step 2.) Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon as you go, until it is browned, 5 to 9 minutes. Push the sausage to one side of the pot and spoon out any excess grease, leaving about 2 tablespoons behind.
- If necessary, adjust heat to medium, then add onion, garlic, paprika, fennel, 11/2 teaspoons each salt and black pepper, and a pinch of crushed red pepper, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, until the onion is just softened and everything is fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it darkens, 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust heat to high, stir in tomato purée and stock, cover the pot and bring to a gentle boil, then add the tortellini and cook until tender, 2 to 3 minutes (1 minute longer if frozen).
- Add the heavy cream, kale and basil, and cook, stirring, until warmed through and the kale and basil are just wilted, 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice. Stir to incorporate, then taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve warm topped with plenty of grated Parmesan. Soup can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- If using the sausage, heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high (if not using sausage, heat the oil on medium, then proceed to Step 2.) Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon as you go, until it is browned, 5 to 9 minutes. Push the sausage to one side of the pot and spoon out any excess grease, leaving about 2 tablespoons behind.
- If necessary, adjust heat to medium, then add onion, garlic, paprika, fennel, 11/2 teaspoons each salt and black pepper, and a pinch of crushed red pepper, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, until the onion is just softened and everything is fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it darkens, 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust heat to high, stir in tomato purée and stock, cover the pot and bring to a gentle boil, then add the tortellini and cook until tender, 2 to 3 minutes (1 minute longer if frozen).
- Add the heavy cream, kale and basil, and cook, stirring, until warmed through and the kale and basil are just wilted, 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice. Stir to incorporate, then taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve warm topped with plenty of grated Parmesan. Soup can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- If using the sausage, heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high (if not using sausage, heat the oil on medium, then proceed to Step 2.) Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon as you go, until it is browned, 5 to 9 minutes. Push the sausage to one side of the pot and spoon out any excess grease, leaving about 2 tablespoons behind.
- If necessary, adjust heat to medium, then add onion, garlic, paprika, fennel, 11/2 teaspoons each salt and black pepper, and a pinch of crushed red pepper, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, until the onion is just softened and everything is fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it darkens, 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust heat to high, stir in tomato purée and stock, cover the pot and bring to a gentle boil, then add the tortellini and cook until tender, 2 to 3 minutes (1 minute longer if frozen).
- Add the heavy cream, kale and basil, and cook, stirring, until warmed through and the kale and basil are just wilted, 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice. Stir to incorporate, then taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve warm topped with plenty of grated Parmesan. Soup can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.