Menu for May 9-13: Monday: Smokey Tortellini Soup

A bunch of new dishes again this week.  Love trying new things!  (and the plus is that 99% of the time, I find I really like all of them)  A friend of mine posted on Facebook that I HAD to try this soup.  (and tell her when I'm making it and what I think) So, while at the farmers market, the lovely Italian lady was selling her homemade pasta.  I snagged a package of tortellini's and put this soup first in the lineup for the week.  Already craving dinner tonight.  Bought some bread to use to dip into the savory broth.  Do you have a favorite tortellini recipe?

Smokey Tortellini Sausage Soup (Recipe adapted from ourbestbites.com)

3 links Italian sausage  (I use Trader Joe's Sweet Chicken Italian Sausage)
4 cloves pressed garlic
1 onion, diced
½ c. water
2 cans chicken broth
½ c. apple cider JUICE (NOT vinegar!...I made an oops and had a hell of a time fixing the soup to become edible)
(don’t leave the juice out! I did once and it wasn’t the same…)
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes (I use half a can of San Marzano)1 14-oz. can fire roasted tomatoes
1 c. shredded carrots (you can use matchstick or use a mandolin to get small slices)
3 TBS fresh basil
3 TBS fresh oregano
1 Tsp smoked paprika
2 medium zucchini, grated (or use your mandolin)
8-10 oz. package fresh cheese tortellini (check the freezer section of your grocery store; if you can find it there, it will almost always be way cheaper than fresh tortellini. Also, Barilla makes a great dry cheese tortellini)
Fist full of chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

If you’re using link sausage, remove the casings and crumble into a large soup pot. To remove the casings, you can use a sharp knife to cut a slit down one side of the sausage and then peel back the casing. 

Begin cooking sausage over medium heat, stirring frequently. If your sausage is pretty fatty, you’ll want to drain it when it’s about halfway cooked. Meanwhile, chop onions and garlic and add to the sausage. Continue cooking until onions are translucent and your sausage is cooked. Your house will smell heavenly.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, apple cider juice, water, chicken broth, carrots, oregano, and basil. Cover and simmer for 1/2 hour. Add parsley and zucchini and simmer for another 15 minutes or so.

Add the tortellini and cook until tender, and then serve with bread and freshly-grated Parmesan.