Italian Tortellini Soup

stop what you're doing right now and make. this. soup. this one's officially on our weekly rotation. easy, hardy, and delicious. it also pairs wonderfully with a chilled glass of white wine. *chef's kiss* I took Jane Hornby's recipe and tweaked it a bit, so feel free to tweak it to your liking!

italian tortellini soup

6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (I used St. Helena Olive Oil Co.'s EVOO. you should too.)

2 zucchini (courgettes)

1 clove garlic (but I think I used 4, because you can't ever have too much garlic in my humble opinion.)

11oz ripe tomatoes

1/2 sweet onion

1 bunch fresh parsley

3.5 cups chicken broth

9oz cheese tortellini

1lb ground italian sausage

bunch of kale

freshly grated parmesan

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

italian seasoning (I used this one from Evermill)

heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan. slice the zucchini into rounds and chop the onion, then stir into the pan. season generously with salt + pepper and cook until browned and soft. while the veggies brown, crush the garlic and add it to the pan. coarsely chop the tomatoes and add them to the pan when the other veggies have browned up a bit. simmer for a couple of minutes, until the tomatoes have released their juice and start to look pulpy. add in italian seasoning (to taste).

meanwhile, in a separate pan, cook the italian sausage until it's no longer pink (i like to let it get really brown). remove from pan, drain off the grease, and set aside.

pour the broth over the vegetables, bring to a boil, then add the tortellini and boil until the pasta is just cooked through per the package instructions. add in the italian sausage and kale. let it simmer until the kale has wilted and becomes soft. season with salt, pepper, and italian season to taste. ladle the soup into bowls, top with parmesan + fresh parsley, pour yourself a glass of wine, and enjoy!