Welsh Family Kitchen

Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup Ingredients: 3/4 pound Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed 1 medium onion, chopped 6 garlic cloves, minced 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth 1-3/4 cups water 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained 1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini 1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped 2-1/4 teaspoons minced fresh basil or 3/4 teaspoon dried basil 1/4 teaspoon pepper Dash crushed red pepper flakes Shredded Parmesan cheese, optional Procedures: Crumble sausage into a Dutch oven; add onion. Cook and stir over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the broth, water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Add tortellini; return to a boil. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until almost tender, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; add the spinach, basil, pepper and pepper flakes. Cook 2-3 minutes longer or until spinach is wilted and tortellini are tender. Serve with cheese if desired. Freeze option: Place individual portions of cooled soup in freezer containers and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little broth if necessary. Yield: 6 servings (2 quarts). Notes: 2017-09-08: Added to our cookbook. 12/31/2020