Tortellini Soup with Spinach and Kielbasa

No matter how hard I tried, there was just no way to make this soup look as pretty and delicious as it tasted. I suppose if I had topped it with grated Parmesan, as I did before I ate it, it would have looked better; a sprinkling of freshly chopped parsley probably wouldn't have hurt either. But, despite its rather humble appearance, this soup is big on taste.

I found a package of cheese tortellini while cleaning the fridge the other day, and thought tortellini soup sounded so good. It didn't bother me that it was 95° outside. It was, after all, the month of September, and come September I switch into Soup Mode, weather be damned. In my search for recipes using cheese tortellini, I stumbled upon an interesting one on epicurious.com. I adapted it to kick the kale to the curb (I am so over kale!), replacing it with the spinach that I always tend to have in my fridge. 

When I make it again, and I will, I'll add another can of cannellini beans, there weren't enough in here to suit me. I found this tasty and satisfying, not to mention a wonderfully hearty bowl of goodness. This soup will fill you up. All it needs is a nice roll, or piece of cornbread, and you have a wonderful meal. It keeps up to three days in the fridge; the jury is still out as to how well it freezes. I have a number of containers of it in my freezer, and come winter when I thaw them out, I'll let you know.

Tortellini Soup with Spinach and Kielbasa
Slightly adapted from epicurious.com

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 12-ounce fully cooked smoked kielbasa sausage, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh fennel (do not omit!)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½  teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
10 cups low sodium chicken stock
4 cups of baby spinach
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 9-ounce package cheese tortellini
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add next six ingredients, sauté until vegetables are soft and Kielbasa is brown, about 12 minutes. Stir in stock and bring to a boil. Stir in cannellini beans, reduce heat to low and simmer about four minutes. Stir in spinach and allow to wilt. Add tortellini to the soup and simmer until pasta is tender, but still firm, about five minutes. Serve topped with grated Parmesan.

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