It has FINALLY gotten chilly here in Los Angeles. I don’t want to jinx it but I think we might finally be out of the heat wave. Now for me, it’s not really soup season anymore—that’s what summer is for—but I know I’m weird and not everyone feels like having hot soup in summer like me, and since it’s finally soup weather for everyone else, I figured it would be great to share this Sausage and Kale Tortellini Soup. I saw it being made on TikTok a couple weeks ago and I knew I immediately had to make it for myself. We devoured it for dinner and now it’s quickly become a new favorite. Trust me, you’ll want to give this one a try as soon as possible!
Set a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, drizzle in the oil and add the chicken sausage and break it up with a wooden spoon. Season with fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook until the sausage has begun to crisp and is fully cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
**Note: I like using chicken sausage for this but hot or mild Italian sausage works fine here too. I find that chicken sausage isn’t as greasy so that’s why I enjoy it.**
Add the onion, carrots, celery, red bell pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the veggies have softened, about 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and chili pepper paste (if using) and cook for about 30 seconds or so. Add the tomato purée and chicken stock and bring up to a simmer. Season with a large pinch of salt and pepper.
Carefully blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Or carefully transfer to a blender and blend. Give it a taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. Bring back up to a simmer and then add in the kale, cooked sausage and the tortellini that has been cooked according to package directions.
**Tip: You don’t want to cook the tortellini in the soup as it’ll absorb too much moisture. Cook it in a pot of boiling water separately and then transfer to the soup.**
Stir until the kale has wilted slightly. Serve with some parmesan on top, a drizzle of oil and some crusty bread for dipping.
You can switch up the flavor of tortellini you use. I just use a basic cheese one but you can use whatever you prefer or whatever you find at the grocery store. It’s all good here!
If you’re looking for a more hearty look and taste, you can skip the blending step and serve the soup chunky. I prefer it blended because then you can really just focus on the texture of the sausage, kale and tortellini.
I hope you’ll give this soup a try, especially if you’re looking for something quick, easy and delicious. I’ve been told I have a weird perception of what “easy” is but honestly I don’t think this recipe is complicated at all. I want it to be something you want to make again and again. Let me know what you think below and as always, thank you for reading and following along.
Sausage and Kale Tortellini Soup
Equipment
- Pot
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound Italian chicken sausage casings removed
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 medium carrots peeled and diced
- 3 ribs celery diced
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and diced
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon chili pepper paste such as harissa or Calabrian chili paste (optional)
- 1 (24.5 ounce) bottle tomato purée
- 8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- Kosher salt and coarse black pepper
- 1 bunch dinosaur kale chopped
- 1 (20 ounce) package cheese tortellini
- Parmesan cheese for serving
- Crusty bread for serving
Instructions
- Set a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, drizzle in the oil and add the chicken sausage and break it up with a wooden spoon. Season with fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook until the sausage has begun to crisp and is fully cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add the onion, carrots, celery, red bell pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the veggies have softened, about 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and chili pepper paste (if using) and cook for about 30 seconds or so. Add the tomato purée and chicken stock and bring up to a simmer. Season with a large pinch of salt and pepper.
- Carefully blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Or carefully transfer to a blender and blend. Give it a taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. Bring back up to a simmer and then add in the kale, cooked sausage and the tortellini that has been cooked according to package directions. You don't want to cook the tortellini in the soup as it'll absorb too much moisture. Cook it in a pot of boiling water and then transfer to the soup.
- Stir until the kale has wilted slightly. Serve with some parmesan on top, a drizzle of oil and some crusty bread for dipping. Enjoy!
This soup is amazing! My husband will not eat kale unless I “massage”, which I did before adding. I could not find Chili paste and substituted Louisiana hot sauce. It is a delicious soup and I thought very easy to make. There are only two of us and it makes lots. Does it freeze well?
works for me, hey I like kale! Tortellini and sausage is a nice pairing in soup too, thank you