Tortellini Soup

Submitted by Melissa Maxwell

1 pound Italian sausage
(use ½ mild, ½ hot if desired; see Notes)
1 cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, crushed
5 cups beef broth (see Notes)
¼ cup red wine vinegar
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
½ tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
2 cups cheese-filled tortellini
1 ½ cups sliced zucchini
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

In large soup pot, brown sausage over medium heat. Remove sausage and drain all but 1
tsp. remaining fat from pot. (If sausage is very lean, you may need to add a little olive oil
to prevent sticking and burning.) Sauté onion and garlic in pot. Add beef broth, red wine
vinegar, tomatoes, carrots, basil, oregano, tomato sauce, sausage and 2 cups water. Bring
to boil, then reduce heat to simmer 30 minutes, uncovered. Skim fat. Stir in zucchini and
parsley. Simmer covered 15 minutes. Add tortellini and simmer five more minutes, or
until tortellini is al dente. Add more water if soup becomes too thick.

Notes: If using canned beef broth, you could substitute water for half of it to cut sodium,
if desired. Substitute turkey sausage to trim fat.

Makes 8 servings.