Ingredients:
1 pound ground Italian sausage, hot or mild
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons of flour
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon thyme
1 pinch red pepper, optional
1 teaspoon hot sauce
½ teaspoon mustard powder
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 cup heavy cream
5 cups chicken broth
2 cups kale, chopped
2 cups refrigerated tortellini, just under 10 oz.
salt/to taste
Instructions
Note: Mustard powder and hot sauce are very mild in this soup but help enhance the other flavors, so even if you’re hesitant to add them, I highly recommend them!
If you purchased links, remove the casings from the sausages. Cook and crumble the sausage and chopped onions over medium-high heat until the onions are soft and the sausage is cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Drain the oil. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add the flour and stir for 1-2 minutes until the raw flour taste disappears.
Add basil, oregano, paprika, hot sauce, mustard powder, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
Add the chicken broth and use a silicone spatula to “scrub” the bottom of the pot. Gently stir in the heavy cream. Bring to a boil, let it simmer.
Add the cabbage and tortellini and cook for 3-5 minutes. (If your tortellini takes longer to cook, add the tortellini first and then the cabbage in the last 5 minutes.)
Taste the soup and add salt if desired. Start with ¼ teaspoon and add more later if needed.
Transfer to serving bowls and serve! (This would be great with cheesy garlic bread!)
