Chef Jim's Tortellini Soup-As Served At Hawk Lake Lodge

By JimMac

Ingredients:amounts can be doubled

Ingredients

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed or cubed kielbasa sausage or twice smoked farmers sausage, cut into pieces
• 2 large onion, chopped, about 1 cup
• 6 large cloves garlic, medium chop
• 8 quarts beef broth/stock - home made is the best
• 2 cups diced peeled tomatoes, canned or fresh
• 1 medium Zucchini, cubed
• 1 large Carrot, small cubes
• 1 medium green/red/yellow bell peppers, diced
• 1 bag baby spinach leaves or frozen spinach
• 2 containers sliced mushrooms
• 2 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
• 4 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 Tablespoons Italian herbs
• 1 small can tomato paste
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 to 10 ounces purchased fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
• handful of fresh basil, chopped
• Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Sauté Italian sausage in heavy kettle or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until cooked through, breaking up with back of spoon, about 10 minutes . Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to large bowl. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pan - OR cut kielbasa slices into fourths. Add onion and garlic to pan (with a Tablespoon of olive oil) and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Return sausage/kielbasa to Dutch oven. Add remaining ingredients, except fresh basil. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. add baby spinach or frozen spinach and simmer to wilt.

Add tortellini to soup and cook until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper, to taste. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. You can also spoon the tortellini into the soup bowls and then top them with the soup.

Garnish the soup with shaved Parmesan cheese.