Description
Ina Garten’s hearty tortellini soup blends classic Italian flavors with comforting ingredients. Warm cheese tortellini, rich vegetables, and savory broth create a satisfying meal that welcomes diners to savor each spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 g) Italian sausage, casing removed
- 4 cups (946 ml) chicken stock
- 1 package (9 oz/255 g) refrigerated three cheese tortellini
- 1 can (8 oz/227 g) tomato sauce
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
- ⅓ cup (79 ml) heavy cream
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
- 2 tsps Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsps (16 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsps (45 ml) chopped fresh basil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Sauté Base: Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Brown Italian sausage, breaking into crumbles and draining excess fat.
- Aromatics Integration: Add onions, garlic, and Italian seasoning to sausage, sautéing until onions turn translucent. Season with salt and pepper.
- Thickening Technique: Sprinkle flour over mixture, whisking to create a light caramel-colored roux. Pour in tomato sauce and chicken stock, bringing to a boil, then reducing to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes.
- Pasta Infusion: Introduce tortellini into the simmering liquid, covering and cooking until pasta reaches perfect tenderness, approximately 5-7 minutes.
- Final Flourish: Fold kale into the soup, allowing leaves to wilt and brighten. Stir in heavy cream and fresh basil, heating thoroughly. Adjust seasoning, and serve steaming hot in deep bowls.
Notes
- Meat Preparation: Thoroughly crumble sausage while cooking to ensure even texture and prevent large clumps, which helps distribute flavor uniformly throughout the soup.
- Flour Technique: Whisking flour for exactly 1 minute creates a light caramel roux that thickens the soup and develops a rich, nutty undertone without burning.
- Pasta Cooking Time: Monitor tortellini closely during 5-7 minute cooking window to prevent overcooking, ensuring a perfect al dente texture that maintains cheese filling integrity.
- Cream and Herb Finish: Add cream and basil at the very end to preserve their delicate flavors and prevent separation, creating a luxurious, fresh final touch to the soup.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer.
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 365
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg