Creamy Tomato, Sausage & Tortellini Soup

I'm going to be honest here and admit something... I'm not really a "soup person." There, I said it. Everyone always goes on and on about how chicken noodle soup is the most comforting food of all and I just sit there shaking my head, in my head. I don't actually shake my head physically... just mentally. I mentally shake my head. 

Maybe I should be a little more specific here... it's mostly broth-based soups that I'm not a huge fan of, I guess. I do love a good creamy soup from time to time! Loaded potato soup, chicken & corn chowder... well, those are okay in my book. 

Oh, and did I mention Creamy tomato soups? I do love those, too. Okay, so maybe I do like soup. Just not all soup. Maybe it's chicken noodle I have something against? 

The one thing I can be certain of is that this Creamy Tomato, Sausage & Tortellini soup I'm sharing with you today is my favorite soup. That's a fact. And the picture above is my favorite picture of it. I feel like it really captures the true essence of this soup and who or what it is, as a soup. Okay, that sounded a little rehearsed, didn't it? And it didn't really make sense, did it? Okay, I'll stop now...

Let me just say that I really, really love the colors in this soup! I'm finding that as I age it becomes more and more important to me to have a variety of colors in whatever it is I'm eating. I love the yellow from the bell pepper, the red from the sun-dried tomatoes and the green from the spinach! So pretty and so fresh looking.

 

I could eat this soup every day if I had to. Maybe it's the sausage, maybe it's the tortellini, maybe it's the delicious creamy tomato-y ness... or maybe it's a combination of them all. Whatever it is, this soup is killer. My hubby's favorite part was the sausage nuggets that he said were "just the right size." When you come across one it's like finding a little ball of treasure. See? Eating soup can be fun!

Okay, so I've just convinced myself that soup is a wonderful thing. I know you guys were already a step ahead of me and you were probably shaking your head in disbelief when you read my first paragraph, but, don't worry, I'm with you now. We're on the same page. Now, just go make the soup and we'll forget about this whole thing...

Creamy Tomato, Sausage & Tortellini Soup:

{Print Recipe}

Ingredients:

• 24 ounces tomato sauce
• 3 cups half and half
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 pound sweet italian sausage
• 9oz package cheese tortellini
• 1 teaspoon dried italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 medium yellow pepper, sliced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Roll sausage into small balls, or "nuggets" about the size of a quarter and place in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until no longer pink.

Meanwhile, in a dutch oven, over medium heat, place olive oil, onions, garlic and bell pepper. Cook until bell pepper begins to soften, about 4-5 minutes. Pour in tomato sauce, add sugar, lemon juice, pepper, basil and italian seasoning and allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, half and half, sun-dried tomatoes and cooked sausage. Bring to a boil and allow soup to cook for 5 more minutes, then, add in your tortellini and cook according to package directions (mine was 8 minutes). Stir in spinach during last 2 minutes of cook time.

Top soup with shredded parmesan cheese and a little fresh parsley and serve!

Enjoy!

Ham & Cabbage Soup

You may find this hard to believe, but I am not a soup-lover. I like creamy soups, like broccoli cheese and chicken corn chowder, but brothy soups just aren't my thing. I know, I know, i'm crazy... But, now that i'm getting older, i'm finding that my tastes are changing dramatically. and things I never liked to eat before have now become things I love and sometimes even crave! This whole getting older thing is kind of amazing, really... So, with that being said... I actually found a brothy soup I like! Yay me!

It all started when I found a steal on a giant ham, so we pretty much ate ham for a whole week... and even after that whole week of eating nothing but ham, I could have still eaten more ham! That's true love, folks. Anywho, during that time, I found myself trying to think of new ways to use the ham and, of course, soup popped into my mind. This Ham & Cabbage soup is a brothy soup, but you know what... I loved it! It's simple, to the point, and absolutely delicious! Plus, with Easter coming up, I know you're going to be looking for ways to use up some of that leftover ham! l ;) Enjoy!

Ham & Cabbage Soup:

{Print Recipe}

Ingredients: 

• 1-1/2 cups cubed ham
• 3/4 head of cabbage (cut into wedges, then cut in half)
• 2 cups baby carrots
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

Place all ingredients in a large pot or dutch oven. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for about 1-1/2 hours, or until vegetables are tender.


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Cajun Chicken Soup

My Hubby is an intelligent, funny, hard working man and I love him to death. Unfortunately, when it comes to eating healthy, he is a bit on the clueless side. I just recently convinced him that smothering a healthy chicken breast with BBQ sauce, makes it... well, somewhat unhealthy. He also happens to be a bit of a Cajun food fanatic and when he recently decided to try his hand at a more healthy lifestyle, I decided that being the wonderful Wife that I am, I would concoct something that would make the transition a bit more easy on him. This mildly spicy Cajun soup is the direct result of my excellent Wiving skills. And guess what? After eating a couple of bowls, my dear Husband even announced that he felt he had already lost a pound or two.



Cajun Chicken Soup Recipe: {Print Recipe}

Ingredients:
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1" cubes)
1 large zucchini (sliced, then cut in half)
3 stalks of celery (chopped)
3 carrots (sliced)
1 onion (diced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons cajun seasoning (divided)
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup dry rotini pasta
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (divided)

Instructions:
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in dutch oven, or large pot, over medium-high heat. Season chicken with 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning, place in dutch oven and brown on all sides. Remove from heat.

Place 1 teaspoon of oil in dutch oven and add zucchini, celery, carrots, onion and garlic. Sautee for 5-6 minutes or until vegetables are just starting to become tender. Add diced tomatoes, parsley, thyme and cajun seasoning and cook for additional 1-2 minutes. Add chicken back to mixture. Add chicken broth and bring soup to a boil.

Once soup comes to a boil, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Add pasta and kidney beans and cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes.