20-Minute Sausage and Tortellini Soup

Woah, it’s the final week of November, and just 3 days until Thanksgiving! How did that happen?

We kicked things off this weekend with our annual Friendsgiving celebration. I’ve lost track of how many years we’ve all been getting together for this party, but I think it has to be at least 6 or 7. The crowd keeps getting bigger every year, and it’s seriously a blast! Everyone’s so busy these days Friendsgiving is often the only time we’re all in the same place all year. As always, the food was amazing – our friends can definitely cook! I usually volunteer to bring appetizers and/or dessert; this weekend I made pumpkin whoopie pies and homemade Cheez-It crackers. I think I’m still stuffed after everything I ate, but I’ll definitely be ready to do it all again in a few days. Can’t wait 🙂

Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving or traveling to celebrate with others, this tends to be a busy week for everyone. But you still need to eat dinner, right? It can be so tempting to order take-out, but I think you should try this sausage and tortellini soup instead. A one-pot meal you can have on the table in about 20 minutes, what’s not to love about that? Just grab a loaf of crusty bread to serve on the side and you’ll be all set for dinner for a few nights – yep, this recipe makes a big pot of soup, so you’ll almost certainly have leftovers. You could switch things up too – leave the sausage out for a vegetarian soup, or swap in chicken sausage for the pork to cut a few calories. Shane loved this soup so much I don’t think he said more than five words throughout dinner, it’s definitely going to be a staple in our dinner rotation this winter.

20-Minute Sausage and Tortellini Soup
adapted from Taste of Home

{Note: if you use a mild sausage, you may also want to season with a pinch of red pepper flakes. I didn’t find it necessary with the spicy sausage.}

1/2 lb spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
1 medium onion, diced
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (14.5 oz each) low-sodium chicken broth
1 3/4 cups water
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 package (10 oz) refrigerated cheese tortellini
6 oz baby spinach
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Add the sausage to a Dutch oven set over medium heat. Begin cooking, breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon. After about 2 minutes, add the onion and continue cooking until the sausage is browned. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant. Add the chicken broth, water, and tomatoes (with their juices, do not drain them!) and stir to combine. Increase the heat to medium-high, and bring the mixture to a boil. When you reach a boil, add the tortellini. Cook until tender, about 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the spinach and Italian seasoning. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the spinach has wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and if desired, add up to 1/4 teaspoon additional Italian seasoning.

This soup reheats very well, but you will need to add additional liquid (either chicken broth or water, your choice) because the tortellini will continue to absorb liquid as it sits.