When you think of summer, you don’t normally think of soup. However, this recipe is great to make anytime of the year, even in summer, because it’s basically a bowl of vegetables with little bits of tortellini and turkey sausage mixed in and can be served cold. It came to me from a friend years ago and with a couple of tweaks to the original recipe, it’s become one of our family’s favorite dinners. When I can get my kids to love eating vegetables, it’s a win.
Don’t let all the ingredients listed as “diced” scare you off. The first time I made this, I hated this soup and vowed never to make it again because of all the prep work. Then I purchased this handy tool and it revolutionized my cooking. This soup is now a cinch to make, and I can dice some ingredients while others are cooking on the stove. It’s also one of those dishes that’s a meal in a bowl because it has protein, carbs, and lots vegetables. No side dish needed!
Smoked Sausage and Vegetable Soup
1-13oz package of smoked turkey sausage, like Hillshire Farm or similar
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1-8oz package of sliced fresh mushrooms
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 carrots, diced
1-8oz can of tomato sauce
1-14oz can of diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
1 zucchini, diced
1 yellow squash, diced
1-9oz package of cheese tortellini
**fresh basil and parmesan to garnish**
Cut sausage into slices, then cut each slice into quarters. In a 10 inch non-stick skillet, cook sausage according to package directions.
In a large pot, heat oil to med-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, garlic, and carrots and cook until tender, about 10 min. Once tender, add cooked sausage, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth to pot. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add diced zucchini, yellow squash, and tortellini to pot and crank back up the heat to bring it to another boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low again and let simmer for 9 minutes.
Garnish with basil and parmesan and serve!