Soup of the Week

  This week's soup is one of my favorites and very much a crowd pleaser.  It's also a  quick and easy soup to make, which is the best part.  

  If you're looking for a meaty soup with lots of flavor for a cold winter day, this one fits the bill.  

  Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini  

1 pound hot or mild ground sausage

1 clove garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

4 (14.5-ounce) cans tomatoes, undrained and chopped

2 cups water

1 T. chopped fresh fennel or 1 tsp. dried fennel seeds

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp coarsely ground pepper

1 (9-ounce) package tortellini

Remove ground sausage from casing; crumble sausage in a large Dutch oven.  Add garlic and onion; cook until meat is browned.  Add tomatoes and next 4 ingredients; cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Cook tortellini according to package directions; drain and add to soup.  Cover and simmer 10 minutes.  Yield:  11 cups.

I've been making this soup since 1990 and it was originally printed in the Southern Living 1988 Annual Recipes edition.

Enjoy.