Sausage and Tortellini Soup

This is the perfect soup for these fall days. Even though I just made it yesterday, I wanted to post it as soon as possible so you could make it immediately! I think this would be especially good to warm up the tummies of your little trick or treaters before they head out on Thursday.

This soup comes together quickly thanks to refrigerated tortellini. And it's chock full of carrots and spinach, so you will feel good about serving a well-rounded dinner. Meat, dairy, vegetables, starch - this soup has everything and is super tasty to boot! Normally I serve salad and bread with soup but in this case, we ate the soup solo - and everyone was satisfied.

This sausage and tortellini soup was a dinner winner in my family; two people had seconds, and the other two took the leftovers for lunch! (Wait, that's today, that's my lunch TODAY! Woo hoo!)

Get more great ideas at Inspire Me, Fabulous, Hearth and Soul, Wine'd Down, Wonderful Wednesday, Favorite Things,


Sausage and Tortellini Soup

1 pound Italian sausage
1 tsp. olive oil
1 small yellow or white onion, diced
2 cups peeled and diced carrots (I use baby carrots and just slice thickly)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup flour
5 cups chicken broth
14 oz. refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
6 ounces baby spinach, chopped
2 cups half & half
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese


In a large stockpot set over medium-high, cook the sausage until browned. Remove the cooked sausage to a paper towel lined plate; set aside.

Add olive oil to the pot, then saute onion and carrots for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional 2 minutes, or until fragrant, stirring occasionally to prevent it from burning.

Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add in the chicken broth, and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 6 minutes.

Add the sausage, tortellini, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning to the pot. Simmer for 3 minutes, then add the spinach and half and half, stirring until the spinach is wilted and the tortellini is fully cooked.

Serve immediately and top with shredded Parmesan cheese.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Life Made Simple Bakes

Shrimp, Corn and Bacon Risotto {Instant Pot!}

You know that risotto is my favorite thing to cook in the Instant Pot. It comes out beautifully every time, with minimal effort, and without having to add cream. So I am always on the lookout for new combinations. This one, with shrimp, bacon and corn, is a wonderful combo. If you wanted to get super fancy, you could grill the corn and shrimp first for even more flavor and color, but my family adored this dish just as written.

It's the perfect comfort food with summery flavors - great for a transitional season like this. (Work with me here, I'm still trying to transition away from summer, even though I'm wearing flannel pjs to bed...TMI.) So, all that to say, make this risotto. You won't be sorry.

Find more great ideas at Inspire Me, Inspire Me 2, Fabulous, Hearth and Soul.


Shrimp, Corn and Bacon Risotto

4 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
12 oz bag frozen cooked shrimp, thawed
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Turn the Instant Pot to the saute setting. Add the chopped bacon and cook and stir until cooked through but not too crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel lined plate. Add the onion, red pepper and garlic to the bacon drippings in the pot. Cook and stir for 3-5 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the rice and cook and stir for 2 minutes until the rice is slightly browned. Add the wine to the pot to deglaze. (Scrape the bottom of the pot to get any bits off!)

Add the chicken broth, stir all the ingredients together, then cover the pot. Set on high pressure for 6 minutes. When the cycle is complete, do a quick release of the pressure.

Stir in the shrimp and corn and the Parmesan cheese and stir well to incorporate all the ingredients. Adjust the salt and pepper to your taste. Serves 6.

Recipe Source: Adapted for the Instant Pot from the original recipe at From a Chef's Kitchen