Reading glasses really do work...

Winter is full swing as I write this, so soup twice in a week seems fair. I totally misread this recipe thinking it was chunks of chicken or turkey, it's sausage. THIS is why I need reading glasses... I DO have them, I even have distance glasses with bifocals now! The nice part of this recipe? I had everything for it. We planned to have it on a Friday but with a surprise meeting at our house and other random things that happened, Thursday was soup day. I was able to make the soup base on Wednesday night. So cook the meat, the veg, add the flour, tomatoes and chicken broth. I let that sit overnight in the fridge so all I had to do was add the spinach, cream and tortellini. It made for a quick easy dinner, I do love meal prep! I was worried about the "too creamy" comment I often get when something has too much cheese or dairy... but that didn't happen! It was so tasty. I loved the sausage and tortellini. Nicholas drew tortellini a few nights before saying he'd wanted to have them. He couldn't remember the name but was able to draw the picture. Loved this soup, would have been great with the fresh bread that was in the oven while we ate but never made it to the table... oops. Maybe on leftover...

Creamy Tortellini Soup

1 lb. Sweet Italian sausage
1 yellow onion, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
¼ c. all-purpose flour
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
5 c. chicken broth
14 oz. refrigerated cheese tortellini*
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
2 cups baby spinach, chopped
2 cups heavy cream
Shredded Parmesan cheese, for topping

In a large pot set over medium-high, cook the sausage until browned. Transfer the cooked sausage to a paper towel lined plate; set aside.
Add onion, carrot, and celery and sauté until the vegetables are soft. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, stirring occasionally to prevent it from burning.
Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add in the diced tomatoes and chicken broth, whisk to combine. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a simmer, then reduce heat to a simmer.
Add the sausage to the pot with the tortellini, spinach, and heavy cream – season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until the tortellini is fully cooked.
Serve immediately with shredded parmesan, if desired.