For the Sake of the Call

For the Sake of the Call

Feb. 2, 2008 - Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup

So I had this great idea that since February is National Soup Month, I'd post some of my favorite soup recipes on Saturdays through the end of February, and call it something clever like Sumptuous Soups Saturday, and make my own little button, and put up a Mr. Linky, and we can all swap our recipes. Sounds like a ton of fun, right? Well, as it turns out, JANUARY is National Soup Month, and I missed it. It figures. I also haven't the time to figure out how to make one of those cute little buttons, and I doubt I have the artistic talent, so it's a no go. However, since I know how disappointed you all are to hear the news, and since I do have some splendid soup recipes, and since it happens to be Saturday, I figure I'll share them anyway, with or without a clever little title. And if you have any desire to bless me with your own soup recipes, please do! When it's cold and gloomy, there's nothing more comforting that a rich bowl of soup with bread. Better yet: bread bowl soup! Yummy! I love creamy soups especially! So do share, if you please! Just leave a comment with a link to your post if you decide to post one. :)

Now, for a family favorite we enjoyed just this week. I got this recipe from my mother-in-law and tweaked it until it was better than any soup you can get at the Olive Garden! It's that good! It's full of heartiness and flavor and is delicious with Sourdough or Italian bread. Enjoy!

Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup

1lb. sweet Italian Sausage, casing removed
1 cup onion, chopped
16 oz thinly sliced favorite mushrooms (I mix one 8oz package of white with 1 8oz package of baby bella)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cup dry red wine
1/2 Tbsp. dried basil
1/2 Tbsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
6 cups beef broth or (6 beef bullion cubes and 6 cups water)
1 (16oz) can whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
olive oil
2 medium zucchini, sliced
1 large carrot, thinly sliced (or a handful of baby carrots diced into chunks)
20 oz. fresh or 10oz dry cheese tortellini (I use Buitoni's from the refridgerated section)

Sauté sausage, onion, and garlic in Dutch oven/large saucepan over med-high heat until cooked through. Add sliced mushrooms and olive oil (if necessary) and sauté until mushrooms begin to soften. Add spices and wine. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes, allowing wine to reduce, stirring occassionally and scraping the bottom of the pan. (Sometimes I do this much the night before, and put it in the fridge overnight so that the flavors meld.) Add broth, tomatoes (with juice), tomato sauce, and carrots. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 40 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. [At this point, soup may be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days (or frozen for longer)---which allows the flavors to meld beautifully]. In a separate pan, sauté zucchini in olive oil until soft. Return soup to boil, add sautéed zucchini and tortellini to soup and cook until tortellini is tender: approximately 10-12 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, garnish with sprinkled Parmesan cheese. Serve with thick-crusted bread (sourdough or Italian), and a glass of red wine if you like. Enjoy!

Note: This soup is very forgiving, feel free to omit the veggies you do not like, add others (like peppers), decrease the wine or substitute (when I made it this week, I realized I didn't have any red wine, so I used sparkling grape juice and white cooking wine, it was a little sweeter than normal, but it worked), increase the garlic, adjust the amount of spices to your taste, add more liquid if it's too chunky (I like chunky!),...any way you make it, it's simply delicious!

• Post A Comment!

Feb. 2, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Daisy

I will have to try this. I have an opened bottle of red (from New Years) in the fridge that is probably not good for drinking at this point, but might be ok in this soup.

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Feb. 2, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by drewsfamilytx

Mmmmm... sounds deeelicioso!

LOL about the soup month being in January. Always a day.. er month late, eh? Story of my life. Sometimes.

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Feb. 2, 2008 - Well, 3rd comment is better than the 23rd, HUH?

Posted by seasonsmom

I can't believe it! I thought I'd make it to be the first to comment on your fresh post when I got off the phone with you today and it had 0 comments! By the time I got the slideshow on Flickr figured out you already had 2 comments, not my fast day today, I guess. They beat me to it! See, I told you that we were all in shock when you decided to quit! You got fans there, girl! So, I'll have to make up by making my comment long!!!
Thank you very much for helping and pointing me in the right direction with HTML code. I figured it by going to the forums on Flickr and after a few tries got it! SO, the kids horse pics are loading now! You think I should post about how to make a slideshow on the Forums now?

Back to topic. Great idea! Soup month! Even though you missed it by a month! Who cares? I bet it's still cold up in your neck of the woods! Great recipe! I am saving it in my recipe folder! Now, that you saw my bread recipe you can use the round loaves to scoop your soup in, right? I love soup! I grew up eating soup for lunch for first course and dinner as the only course. It can be a time consuming meal like borscht or as simple as a soup with canned broth or stock. Unfortunately, my LA born husband will eat soup only if it's cold outside! So, that limits me to very cold days in AL.
I love borscht (made with beets and time consuming, but oh, so hearty) and split pea soups are my favorites. I just made a pot the other day when I made 6 round loaves of bread (don't try till you master 1 or 2, please, it was too much for me!) but I misjudged the amount of water and it came out too runny. SO, I combined it with some lentil soup (to make up for it's thinness) I froze last week after my family refused to have soup the 2nd nite in a row. My lentil soup was a lot thicker mainly because of the stock I used to cook it in. I made the stock in a large stock pot on very low overnite. It had chicken feet (you don't have to worry it now, just grin), onions, celery and carrots just in water. The chicken feet have a lot of gelatin like qualities and are extremely nutritious in a stock or for aspic. It was gelled after chilled but , after reheating it was just fine. But I've used a turkey or even a small chicken carcass left from a dinner when my homeschooling friends who butcher chicken didn't have any extra to sell. So, that said I like using home made chicken or beef broth in soups as much as possible but I will bless it and eat it at my house (when no stock is left in the freezer) or my friend's house and ask for the recipe! It is really easy to make your own though.
One of our latest hits was Rachael Ray's Chicken Stoup. I got it while watching her show and burning calories ahead of time cuz I knew I was going to make it! Unfortunately, she doesn't have it on her site anymore, but has one similar to it. Just do a search on stoups. It was very good, hearty! It's a cross between a stew and a soup, in her own words! Happy cooking! Let me know what you thought about the slideshow!

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Feb. 4, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Patiecake

THAT SOUP RECIPE LOOKS REALLY GOOD. I'M GONNA USE IT.THANKS

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Feb. 4, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by blessedmomof10

This sounds fabulous! I love italian sausage -- we are going to give this a try! Our family eats a lot of soup!

Thanks for sharing the recipe ~
gloria

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Feb. 7, 2008 - Yummy!

Posted by MasonMoments

Thanks for the idea. Did you post this soup recipe last winter? I seem to remember making it for my family. I decided to share one of our favorite soup recipes also -- Stuffed Green Pepper Soup. Stop by my blog to check it out. -- Amy

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About Me

Philosophical musings from the heart of a home-educating mommy of four and wife of ten years. "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer." Psalms 19:14