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plump cheese tortellini, small browned cooked sausage crumbles and chopped dark green kale in clear golden broth with a little melted Parmesan in an ordinary bowl, with no tomato, cream or garnish
Melissa Hart

Sausage Tortellini Soup with Kale

A clear, savory broth gives this sausage tortellini soup its own place beside the creamy tomato version. There is no need to add cream just because the pasta contains cheese. Brown the sausage enough to leave a little color in the pot, drain the excess fat, then loosen those browned bits with broth. Kale gets several minutes to soften before the tortellini enters, and lemon at the end keeps the sausage from making every spoonful taste heavy.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb mild Italian pork sausage casings removed
  • 1 small yellow onion finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 4 oz curly kale tough stems removed and leaves chopped small
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 12 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini with a 3- to 5-minute cooking time
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

Method
 

  1. Brown sausage and onion in a 6-quart pot over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking sausage into small crumbles and cooking it to 160°F. Drain all but 1 teaspoon of the rendered fat.
  2. Stir in garlic for 30 seconds. Add broth and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom.
  3. Bring to a simmer, add kale and pepper, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until the leaves soften.
  4. Add tortellini and simmer gently for the package time, 3 to 5 minutes, until tender.
  5. Stir in lemon juice. Divide among 6 bowls and add the Parmesan evenly over each serving.