This Italian soup recipe is super easy to make and it is perfect on a cold evening. Pair this with some hearty bread like some focaccia and you have a great comfort meal. Yeah, you could throw a salad on the table as well if you want your greens, but there is some Kale in the soup so technically you are getting your greens already.

Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Servings: 10 cups
Course: Soups
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage hot or mild
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 Tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 pinch cayenne optional
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups kale chopped
- 2 cups tortellini ~10 oz. (refrigerated or frozen)
- Salt/ to taste
Method
- Remove the casings from the sausage if you purchased links. Cook and crumble the sausage and diced onions over medium-high heat until the onions are softened and the sausage is cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Drain grease. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
- Add basil, oregano, cayenne, hot sauce, mustard powder, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
- Add the chicken broth and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pot. Slowly stir in the heavy cream. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer.
- Add the kale and tortellini and simmer for 3-5 minutes. (If your tortellini needs longer cooking time, add the tortellini first, then the kale during the last 5 minutes.)
- Taste the soup and add salt if desired. Start with ¼ tsp and add more after that if needed.
- Transfer to bowls and serve!




