Eat: Tortellini Soup

The official name of this soup is: "Wendy's Amazingly Delicious Sausage & Tortellini Soup". And it is delicious. My friend, Wendy in Seattle served this to us when we were there one year and I just found the recipe card recently. I had dreamed of that soup regularly in the winter months for the past 8 years. Had I known the recipe card was in my little book, I'd have been eating it for many winters now. We dined on this one night during Chris' birthday week. It was surprisingly easy to make, and I think you should give it a shot one cold, wintry night. This is not gluten, dairy or meat free, however. It's got em all. 

Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
1 lb Italian chicken sausage
2 large onions
3 celery ribs, finely chopped
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 small fennel bulb, cored & chopped
Reserve a handful of green fronds
2 large inches red pepper flakes
salt & black pepper
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
2 quarts chicken stock
2 9-oz packages of fresh tortellini
1 1/2 cups fresh basil
1/2 cup fresh flat parsley, chopped

Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions:
Preheat a large soup pot over med-high heat with 2 T olive oil. Add sausage and break it up as it cooks - 3-4 minutes. Add the onions, celery, garlic, fennel, red pepper flakes and salt & pepper. Cook stirring frequently for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and continue to cook for a minute. Then add the chicken stock. Put a lid on the pot and bring the soup to simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover the pot, add the tortellini and cook for 5 minutes. Once the pasta is cooked through, add the basil and the parsley, then taste and re-season with more salt & pepper. Chop up the reserved fennel fronds and stir them in. Sprinkle with cheese.

Serves 8