Say hello to soup season
This soup comes with a memory: a bowl of hearty soup served by my mother-in-law one chilly fall afternoon many years ago. I remember the broth being so complex yet so comforting, and the cheesy tortellini were a brilliant touch. I asked her for the recipe, but she, being the MacGyver of the kitchen that she is, didn't have anything to give - it was a one-time-only melting pot of a week's worth of leftovers. But I didn't forget it.
One day I was scavenging the pantry for dinner, thumbing over a can of San Marzano tomatoes and a lone onion when the hearty soup came flooding back to me. I had frozen tortellini and sausage in the freezer, so dinner just about made itself.
Lacking my mother-in-law's direction, I followed the guidelines of any good soup: Build the flavors slowly. First, I browned the sausage in hot, sizzling oil until it seared and caramelized. I then carefully sauteed the onions and garlic in the fat left behind in the pot, and scraped up all those prized brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a healthy glug of red wine.
Next went in a can of San Marzano tomatoes, some chicken stock and a leftover Parmesan rind, because ... why not? I brought the liquids to a gentle bubble, added the fresh tortellini and a heap of spinach, and then just let it go for a bit - but not for too long, because we were hungry and I am very impatient when it comes to food.
I finished it off with a splash of aged balsamic and a pinch of brown sugar (two of my favorite "secret" ingredients) to round out the other flavors. I ladled the soup into two oversized coffee mugs and shaved some curls of Parmesan over the top.
One (very hot) bite later and I was head-over-heels in love. I'm not exaggerating when I say that; in a house where leftovers almost never get eaten, I went back to this soup for breakfast and lunch the next day, and dinner the night after that. Since then, I've made this recipe countless times, which is crazy because I am very much a one-and-done cook, always on to the next big thing. (So that's saying something!)
What I think I enjoy most about this recipe is that it's never out of reach. I keep tortellini and Italian sausage in the freezer (they're great staples for all sorts of meals), so I'm always able whip up this soup on the fly. And unlike a chili or gumbo, which really needs a lot of time on the stove, this tastes great in just 30 minutes or so. It does keep getting better with time, however, so feel free to let it simmer for a while if you've got the time. I'm sure it freezes well, too, but I've never gotten around to it because I want to eat it all immediately.
And while the soup alone is more than enough to satisfy my hunger, if I'm trying to be proper I will add a salad alongside, usually made with spinach leftover from the soup and tossed with my favorite store-bought garlic dressing. Sure, I could make my own dressing. But sometimes even we home cooks could use a break!
• Nealey Dozieris a writer for TheKitchn.com. Submit any comments or questions to editorial@thekitchn.com.