I discovered this recipe online recently and it has quickly become a favorite. It's the only soup that my son requests. It's delicious and reheats well. The original recipe from Cafe DeLites called for dried tortellini, I prefer fresh and have changed recipe to reflect that. I served it with sour dough bread, but any crusty bread (to sop up the soup) will do.
Cafe DeLites Creamy Tortellini Sausage Spinach Soup
INGREDIENTS
1 pound (500 g) ground Italian sausage (or ground chicken, turkey or beef), browned*
1 onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 teaspoon beef bouillon powder (I use low sodium)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups low sodium beef broth
1/4 cup cornstarch mixed and dissolved in 1/4 cup water
36 ounces evaporated milk
12 ounce packet three cheese tortellini (I use fresh)
5 cups fresh baby spinach
1 cup milk (if needed)
DIRECTIONS:
Place the browned sausage, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, Italian seasoning, beef bouillon powder, salt, and broth in a 6-quart slow cooker bowl. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 7 hours).
Uncover and skim any fat that is sitting on the top of the soup with a spoon; discard. Stir in the cornstarch mixture with the evaporated milk. Cover again and cook on HIGH heat setting for a further 30 minutes until the soup has thickened. Add the fresh tortellini and spinach, pressing the leaves down to completely submerse into the liquid. Cover again for a further 15 minutes until the leaves have wilted and tortellini is cooked.
If soup is too thick, pour in milk in 1/3 cup increments, as needed, to reach your desired thickness and consistency; taste test and season with extra salt ONLY if needed, and pepper to suit your tastes.
Serve with crusty warmed bread
NOTE:
The soup thickens as it cools and absorbs quite a lot of liquid. Extra milk may be needed when reheating leftovers to reach your desired level of creaminess.
NUTRITION
Calories: 447kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 1136mg | Potassium: 502mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3890IU | Vitamin C: 8.2mg | Calcium: 232mg | Iron: 2.3mg
