Easy Tortellini Soup with Sausage and Fennel
Ingredients
1 onion
1 fennel bulb with stems and fronds
4 Yukon gold potatoes
5 carrots
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 pound loose hot or sweet Italian sausage
8 cups chicken stock
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes (fire roasted, preferred)
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dry thyme
Crushed red pepper to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup heavy cream
12 ounces fresh tortellini
Extra virgin olive oil, optional, for serving
Directions
Prepare Ingredients: Peel and dice the onion. Cut the core from a fennel bulb and discard. Slice the bulb into thin wedges. Dice the stalks. Reserve fronds. Peel and dice the carrots. Peel Yukon gold potatoes and cut into medium cubes.
Prepare the Soup: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a soup pot. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes or until beginning to soften. Add fennel bulb wedges and diced stalks along with the diced carrots and cook for 5 more minutes until beginning to soften.
Crumble the loose sausage into the pot and cook, stirring regularly, for 10-12 minutes until well browned and cooked through. Add the potatoes. Season everything with salt and pepper.
Pour in the chicken stock and the can of diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Season with garlic powder, paprika, crushed red pepper, dry thyme. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.
Prepare Cream Base: Scoop out 1 cup of the soup liquid and add 1/2 cup heavy cream. Stir until combined. Set aside.
Cook the Tortellini: Bring the soup back to a boil. Add tortellini and cook until al dente, about 5-6 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the heavy cream mixture. Taste and season to your preferences.
To Serve: Ladle the soup between bowls and sprinkle the fennel fronds on top. Drizzle with a touch of extra virgin olive oil if desired. Enjoy!