You’d be hard-pressed to find an easier, tastier soup than this creamy tortellini-filled broth, rich with sausage, tangy with tomatoes, and sweet with cream. I made it twice, originally playing with adding carrots instead of tomatoes, but tradition won out, and the second, tomatoey try worked best. (As luck would have it, I forgot to photograph the second one, so my apologies for the slightly-misleading photo. No carrots in the recipe.)
Everything else is the same, though— and look at those plump, pillowy tortellini! They’re the most gorgeous part of this amazing soup, and Noah ate as many as his little tummy could hold. As for the kale, I told him it was like curly spinach, since he already knows and likes spinach, and that helped him gain the courage to try a piece or two. If your kiddos won’t eat it, no worries— serve them a tiny bit anyway and let them try it if they want. Seeing a new food still counts as an exposure!
Tortellini Soup adapted from the Modern Proper
Total time: 45 minutes
Serves: 8-10
For Dietary Restrictions
Gluten free: use gluten-free tortellini or another GF pasta shape
Dairy free: use cashew cream and dairy-free tortellini (or a cheese-less pasta): this recipe is almost identical, but vegan!
Kids Can Help
Wash & tear the kale, open cans, measure salt. Older kids can cut the aromatics and stir the sausage as it cooks.
Ingredients
4 cloves of garlic
1 lb mild ground Italian sausage
1-2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium white or yellow onion
48 oz (6 cups) chicken broth
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes (or use undrained petite diced if you like little tomato chunks!)
¼ cup tomato paste
2 tsp salt
1 bunch kale (about 6 cups lightly packed) — it might seem like a lot at first, but it wilts down quite a bit once you stir it in
9 oz package cheese tortellini I like the Aldi brand (Priano) 3 cheese tortellini; use a third to a half of the 20oz package
1 cup heavy cream
Directions
Step 1
Heat 1-2 tsp of olive oil in a large soup pot. Cook the Italian sausage over medium heat without moving for about 2-3 minutes, until the underside is nicely browned but not burnt. Flip, break the sausage into chunks, and continue cooking until fully cooked through.
Step 2
Meanwhile, mince the garlic and onion and add to the pot once the sausage is mostly cooked. Cook until the onion and garlic are softened, then add the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, tomato paste, and salt. Bring to a boil and stir until the tomato paste is fully blended into the broth, then lower to a simmer. Allow to cook for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to develop. Meanwhile, wash the kale and tear into bite-sized pieces.
Step 3
When you are almost ready to eat, add the tortellini and cook for a few minutes, just until they are fork-tender.
Step 4
Add the kale and cream to the pot and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes until the kale has just wilted and turned bright green. Serve immediately.