I love winter time because it’s expected we’ll be having soup at least once a week. My kids are my toughest critics so when a friend brought me this soup after the birth of third kid and the kids loved it, I knew it was something we needed to put on the monthly meal rotation.
Of course I had to tweak the recipe a bit but once I got it where I wanted it, it became and instant favorite in our house.
What do I love most about it:
- it’s easy…I mean throw in the crock pot and eat later easy! You can also make it last minute as long as you have about an hour to cook it.
- it’s packed full of so much goodness! Veggies and broth galore! It’s that perfect hearty meal you want and need but without all the added calories of a cream based soup.
- my kids love it!! Need I say more?!
This is also a great meal to take to someone else. I’ve taken this to families who just had a baby, someone who had surgery, and even as a “I was thinking about you” meal.
Have lots left over…no worries, just freeze it for later!
One thing I have to mention is getting sweet ground Italian sausage is sometimes hard. My store only seems to carry 2-3 at a time so half of the time they’re out. Just buy sweet Italian sausage links and use a knife to lightly run down the side of the sausage and remove the inside. Discard the casing and you’re ready to get cooking.
This is also a great option when you’re looking for a non-dairy meal. Sub shell pasta for cheese tortellini to make it dairy free.
- 1 lb sweet ground Italian sausage browned & drained
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 4-5 large carrots chopped
- 2 zucchini chopped
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 14 oz cans petite diced tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 5 cups chicken broth 32 oz + 1 cup
- 19 oz package cheese tortellini frozen
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Put all ingredients, except the tortellini, into a crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. You can also cook on the stove in a large soup pot for 1-2 hours on medium heat.
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Add tortellini at least 30 minutes prior to eating but no more than 1 hour. If you want to make it dairy free omit the cheese tortellini and opt for shell pasta
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Serve with grated Romano or Parmesan if desired.
