Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb (450 g) Italian sausages, casings removed and cut into chunks
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning mix
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup (250 ml) tomato sauce (passata)
5 cups (1.25 liter) low-sodium chicken stock
2 cups (125 g) kale, roughly chopped
½ lb (250 g) cheese tortellini
1 cup (200 ml) half and half (single cream)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1 Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot and cook the sausage for 4-5 minutes over medium heat until browned. 2 Break it down with your spoon as you go. Remove the sausage from the pan with a slotted spoon and set it aside.
3 Add the onion and carrot to the pot and cook for 5-6 minutes until softened.
Stir in the garlic, red chili flakes and Italian seasoning mix and continue to cook for another minute.
4 Next, add the tomato paste, passata, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
5 Add the kale and the cooked sausage, then stir in the tortellini and cover the pot with a lid. Cook for 2 minutes for fresh tortellini or as indicated on the package for shelf-stable tortellini.
6 Stir in the half and half, season to taste and serve immediately.