Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup

Before I discovered food blogs, I found most of my recipes online at All Recipes . I've been making this Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup I found there for several years and it never fails to disappoint. As my husband puts it, 'it has some substance', translation: it has a lot of meat.

Jam packed with slightly spicy Italian sausage, cheese filled tortellini, and a variety of veggies, it is one of our favorite soups. It is hearty and rich and can easily be adapted to whatever you have on hand. I've included red wine as an ingredient below, but often make it without the wine if I don't have an open bottle. While the wine adds an extra dimension to the flavor, it is equally delicious with an extra cup of beef stock to replace the wine. A generous shaving of Parmesan is the finishing touch. Give this a try and let me know what you think!

Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup

3 links sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups of beef stock
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup red wine
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup tomato sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 small zucchini, chopped
8 ounces cheese tortellini (you can use refrigerated or dried)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Place the sausage in a large pot over medium high heat and saute for 10 minutes, or until well browned. Drain the fat except for 1 tablespoon, add the onions and garlic and saute for 5 more minutes or until the onions are translucent.

Add the beef stock and deglaze the pan. Add the water, wine, tomatoes, carrots, basil, oregano, tomato sauce, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, skimming any fat that may surface.

Add the zucchini, tortellini, and parsley. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until tortellini is cooked. Pour into individual bowls and garnish with Parmesan.