tortellini soup

YUM! this was some good soup. i copied and pasted and stole from dani's blog so here is a plug for it. they have some yum recipes. go here when stumped for a meal. www.domesticationinprogress.blogspot.com.

Tortellini Soup
The Ingredients


1 1/2 pkg tortellini (you can find this in the "deli meats and cheeses" section of the grocery store)- they come in packages of about 10 oz. I usually buy two and use a package and a half. The leftover tortellini is also great with a little pasta sauce for lunch the next day. Or you can freeze it.
24 oz. chicken broth
4 garlic cloves - minced14 oz. can of stewed tomatoes
1/2 lb. ground sausage (the butcher out here had never heard of ground sausage. he kept trying to get me to buy sausage links but I eventually found these "sausage patties")- you can use the whole pound if you want to but I find it overwhelms the soup. basically, it becomes "sausage soup" with tortellini - stick with the 1/2 lb.
1 tsp. basil
1 pkg chopped spinach (in the freezer section, but thaw and drain before adding it to the soup)
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
1 can tomato sauce (optional)* I also think adding some white beans, zucchini, or chickpeas would make this soup even better... I just haven't tried it yet.

How to:

1. Brown the sausage and garlic.
2. After the sausage and garlic has cooked through, drain the fat and dump the sausage into a large soup pot.
3. Add the chicken broth, stewed tomatoes and basil
4. When the soup is boiling add the tortellini and simmer for about 10 minutes* if you think the broth is too thin add the can of tomato sauce - I always to because I like the sauce a little heartier
5. Add the spinach and Parmesan cheese and simmer for about 10 minutes more
6. Serve with a small salad and garlic bread and you've got dinner!