Life can get crazy around the holidays. You have a whole list of people to shop for, parties to attend, and cards to send out in just a month’s time, all the while keeping up with your regular to-dos.
Scott and I were out late last night and bounced from one holiday party to the next. While it was convenient to already be ready, it was kind of a bummer that we had to cut out early at one and miss a lot of the other. Boo.
In an attempt to stay on track through this week of madness, I wanted to put together a hearty and comforting recipe. With the chilly weather outside, my body is craving soup more than ever! Aren’t soup leftovers the best?
The following recipe took around 40 minutes to prepare. Now that I’ve made it once, I could probably put it together closer to a half an hour. It’s pretty simple, and what I would consider to be a loaded (yet healthier) version of the standard Italian Tortellini soup.
Ingredients
3 (4 oz.) Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
1 medium onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
4-6 cups light sodium chicken broth (depends on your thickness preference)
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced into thin coins
3 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained (I used organic with Italian herbs)
1 (15 oz.) can cannellini beans
1 (9 oz.) package refrigerated cheese tortellini noodles
1 (5 oz.) package baby spinach, coarsely chopped
3/4 tsp. dried basil (you can also substitute thyme or oregano)
1/4 tsp. pepper
generous dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
***
cook time: 40 mins.
servings: 6 (about 2 quarts)
***
Directions
1. Crumble sausage into a large skillet. Add onion. Cook and stir over medium heat until meat is no longer pink.
2. Add garlic. Cook and stir 2 more minutes.
3. In a large pot, combine broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil.
4. Stir in tortellini, carrots, celery, and beans. Return to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer (uncovered) for 5-8 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the spinach, basil, pepper, and pepper flakes (if desired). Cook 2-3 minutes longer or until spinach is wilted. Serve with Parmesan cheese on top, if desired!
Want to get in on my secret of making almost any soup better for you?
Step 1: substitute the red meat for a lighter protein.
Step 2: chop up as many veggies as you can (that make sense)!
Step 3: sneak in even more veggies (and beans for extra protein).
Step 4: substitute whole wheat, veggie or gluten-free noodles. For tortellini, you could go for a veggie stuffed tortellini like mushroom or squash.
Step 5: get rid of the garlic salt and stick to using real garlic and fresh herbs.
Step 6: ENJOY!!
Sorry if I just made you hungry. (Maybe lunch or dinner is right around the corner?) I’m off to heat up leftovers and will see ya back in a few with my latest Stitch Fix breakdown!
Question of the Morning
What is your favorite kind of soup?
I have two all-time favorites, and they totally reflect my love for Italian and Mexican cuisine. One is minestrone and the other is chicken tortilla. If a restaurant offers either, I will most likely order it!
![[in our elementary school era] 🚌😭
Skyler did great walking into KINDERGARTEN with a big smile on his face this morning. I, however, was a bit of a mess on our walk home. 🥹
It’s wild how fast these 5 years with him have gone … 7 since we moved to NYC and into our apartment, dreaming of the day our kids would someday go to the *awesome* school right down our block. 🏫
That day is today, and I still don’t believe it — feeling allll of the emotions and thanking God for placing us here and for being able to trust His timing through the journey. 🫶🏼 #hbshinnyc
SO proud of you, SK - you are going to rock your first year at your “big boy school” - WE LOVE YOU !! 🩵👑](https://lifeinleggings.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)
Yum! This looks amazing, and it reminds me that I haven’t made spinach tortellini soup in a long time. I love the idea of adding beans in for extra protein – makes it almost like a tortellini minestrone. I think I’ll be making this over the weekend!
I’m a bean lover. I add them to everything I can! Salads, soups, rice bowls… anything really. 😉
This looks great! I like so many different soups – black bean, lentil, tomato and leek. Perfect for this time of year. Thanks for the recipe!
Yum! Those all sound great to me!!
Looks delicious–my boys will love this! My favorite soup is the French pistou–lots of veggies and cannellini beans (and simmering with a parmesan rind adds nice flavor).
That sounds delicious!
This soup looks delicious! I have to make this, is so cold in New York that it would be perfect to stay warm and cozy.
I feel ya, sister! It’s been pretty cold here in Michigan. I swear I live off of soup this time of year 😉
My favorite soups to order are minestrone and chili! If either is on a menu, I usually have to get it! 🙂 My favorite soup to make is this Tangy Lentil & Chickpea recipe I found in O Magazine many years ago… http://pinterest.com/pin/88875792619374639/
Ahhh, chili! How can I forget chili? Great choice. <3 That lentil & chickpea recipe looks amazing!
This looks so yummy and fresh! Already pinned and can’t wait to try it! Thanks for sharing!:)
Awesome!! Let me know if you do!
Looks delicious! I love the addition of tortellini – one of my favorite pastas!
SO good!
This looks absolutely delicious! I love soup this time of year so it would be great to have a healthy homemade version to try out instead of the canned stuff!
I made this over the weekend, and it did not disappoint! So delicious!
I have a hard time trying new soup recipes because I am so picky with soups (have to be hearty, have LOTS of veggies, and not too much broth)… this was a serious winner! I am adding it to my collection of favorites 🙂
That’s great to hear! Glad you liked the recipe. I think a lot of soups have too much broth too. I guess that’s why I skimped on it a little here and made it more hearty 🙂
I made this soup for my husband and I for dinner tonight and we both loved it! It was perfect for a cold night like tonight. We will definitely be making this again!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed the recipe. I’m thinking I need to make it again very soon!