Tortellini Soup with Sausage and Kale

Ingredients

• 1 pound spicy Italian sausage, removed from casings
• 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 heaping cups cheese tortellini (fresh or frozen - see recipe notes)
• 3 heaping cups roughly chopped kale
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can white beans or butter beans, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce

Instructions

1. 1

   Place a large pot on a burner over medium-high heat. Add Italian sausage and cook, stirring frequently to break up any large pieces, for 7-10 minutes or until cooked through.

2. 2

   Use a slotted spoon to remove cooked sausage from the pot, leaving behind any fat that has released (you'll use it to cook the onion in the next step!) Transfer cooked sausage to a bowl and set aside.

3. 3

   Add onion and garlic to pot. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes until onion is translucent.

4. 4

   Add salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine.

5. 5

   Add stock to pot a little at a time to deglaze, using a spoon or spatula to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot (we want to soak up all that flavor!)

6. 6

   Return cooked Italian sausage to pot. Add lemon juice and another pinch of salt. Stir to combine.

7. 7

   Bring soup to a simmer.

8. 8

   When soup has reached a low simmer, add tortellini, kale, and white beans. Stir to combine and simmer an additional few minutes until tortellini is cooked through.

9. 9

   Add the fish sauce, taste, and add salt as necessary. Serve immediately.