mary's tortellini soup

before i begin to talk about how delicious this soup is, i have a small caveat about the photo. i don't know if i'm really bad at food photography, or if this soup just isn't photogenic, or both. but this is a lack luster photo of a scrumptious soup. and yet, i feel so strongly about the value of recipe photos that i continue to leave this photo in the post. this is where your trust comes in. and now, the soup post...

i could eat soup everyday, especially this time of year. i love the idea of making a big pot of something hearty that can sit on the stove all day and should a weary traveler wonder through your door, you've got something to warm his bones. this soup is no exception. and it's hard to get your hands on any recipe of mary's, simply b/c she's like my grandma mac - an awesome cook that keeps her recipes in her head or written down on some yellowed Ben Franklin receipt under a stack of 1986 phone books. mary is a fine chef, so pay no mind to the scary photo. this soup is easy and delicious.

Mary's Tortellini Soup

1 pound italian sausage

1 can tomato sauce (16 oz.)

1 cup dry red wine

3 cans beef broth

2 teaspoons italian seasoning

2 cans diced tomatoes 

1 onion

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 small zucchini

some carrots, sliced

1 tablespoon sugar

1 package cheese tortellini

Saute sausage in skillet. Add onion and garlic.

In a soup pot, mix all canned ingredients, all seasoning, red wine and broth. Add sausage mixture. Add all other ingredients, except tortellini. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add "raw" tortellini and let it cook in the soup mixture. 

It's good with salad and ciabatta bread.

Note: I like to stretch out my soup so I doubled broth and wine. If you do this, you should also add a little more sugar and seasoning. 

Also, you might be interested in knowing that 3 cans of broth = 1 32 oz. box of broth. 

enjoy!