Hearty Italian Soup with Tortellini

For day 9 of Soup Month 2012, we bring you a colorful Italian Vegetable Soup that's full of vegetables and gets a spicy kick from Hot Italian Sausage.  This is such a great feel-good meal and will be great on a cold winter night.

This soup is very easy to assemble.  Prep time is only about 15 minutes with cooking time around 25 minutes.  If you're really in a hurry, look for pre-cut veggies at your local grocery store to save a little extra time.

The base for this soup begins with chicken stock and seasoned diced tomatoes, which already contain a good amount of basil and oregano.  (Keep a supply of these in your pantry because they can be the starting point for many soups and chilis.) 

Serve this soup with a side salad, a loaf of crunchy French bread and a glass of red wine.  Enjoy!!

3  Links Hot Italian Sausage (about 1 lb), casings removed
2 tsp  Olive Oil
3 tsp  Minced Garlic
1 small  Red Onion, chopped
2 medium Carrots, julienned
1/2  Green Pepper, chopped
1/2  Yellow Pepper, chopped
1 small  Zucchini, chopped
2 tsp  Garlic Powder
1 tsp  Kosher Salt
1 tsp  Dried Oregano
1/2 tsp  Ground Black Pepper
1 14 oz can  Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Oregano
5 cups  Chicken Stock
1 lb  Three Cheese Tortellini, frozen

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat, add the sausage pieces and brown, breaking the links into small bite-sized pieces while cooking. 

Add the garlic, onion, carrots, peppers and zucchini to the pot and stir.  Cook the vegetables for 4 minutes until just slightly softened.  Add the dry seasonings to the pot, stir until blended, then add the tomatoes and stock to the pot and stir.  Cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, keeping soup at a low simmer.

Increase heat and bring the soup to a low boil and add the tortellini to the pot.  Cover the pot, stir and cook for about 5 minutes to cook the pasta.  Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle with shaved Parmesan cheese.  Serves 6 - 8.  Enjoy!!