3tablespoonschopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basiloptional
2cupsfrozen cheese tortellini
Salt and pepperto taste
Grated Parmesan cheeseoptional
Instructions
Heat vegetable oil in a large stock pot over medium heat.
Form sausage into 1-inch meatballs.
Working in batches, add the meatballs to the pot. Cook the meatballs until they are browned on all sides and no longer pink in the center, about 7-10 minutes. Remove meatballs from the pot and set aside on paper towels. Drain any grease from the pot.
In the same pot, add the broth, fennel seeds, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and carrots. Bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until carrots are tender, about 10 minutes.
Add the squash, zucchini, basil, and tortellini. Bring pot to a boil over medium heat and cook until tortellini is tender, about six minutes. Add the meatballs and heat through.
Season with salt and pepper to your preference. Garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
Storage. Leftover soup should be placed in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consumed within one week.Freezing. I do not recommend freezing this soup. Freezing can change the texture of the tortellini, squash and zucchini.Reheating. Reheat the soup in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. The tortellini may soak up some of the broth. If that’s the case, add a bit more chicken broth.