Tortellini Soup

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. of hot Italian sausage

• 2 white onions (chopped to bite size preference)

• 4 red bell peppers (chopped to bite size preference)

• 5-6 zucchini (either green or yellow) (chopped to bite size preference)

• Large bag of baby spinach

• Fresh basil (chopped up)

• Garlic (minced)

• 3 boxes (32 oz. each) of beef broth or use cans to equal about 70oz

• Cheese tortellinis (2 large containers)

Instructions

• In a large pot, break up and cook the sausage. Add the onions and sauté until translucent. Add the bell peppers and cook until just under desired tenderness. Add the zucchini and cook for just a bit – throw in the garlic. Add the beef broth and bring to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook under the suggested time (about 10 min) then add your basil – salt and pepper to taste.

• Place a generous portion of the spinach in the bowl, ladle the hot soup onto the spinach, and enjoy!

• Serve with crusty bread

• Tips: If you expect having leftovers (and you probably won’t) cook the tortellini separately and warm in the soup just before serving. Keeping the tortellini separate keeps them from falling apart when you reheat the soup.

• Chicken hot Italian sausage works well in this recipe for those who find traditional Italian sausage too rich for their taste.

• This is a firehouse recipe and is proportioned as such. You can cut all of this in half depending on how many you are serving or how much leftovers you want on hand.

(Submitted by the Valley Regional Fire Authority)