Serves: 5
Total Calories: 1,188

1 1/2 pounds sausage links
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups beef broth
2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 1/2 cups peeled and thinly sliced carrots
1 (16-ounce) can whole tomato
1 (16-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (6-ounce) can pitted, sliced black olives, drained
2 cups diced zucchini
16 ounces cheese tortellini
1 freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Preheat oven to 400°. In roasting pan, combine sausage, onion, garlic, and pepper. Add olive oil and toss to coat. Roast, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 20–30 minutes, until sausage is brown. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 325°. Drain any grease from sausage and cut into 1/4-inch slices. Return to roasting pan. Add broth, water, seasoning, and carrots. Bake 30 minutes, until sausage is tender. Remove from oven.

Squeeze tomatoes by hand to break up, then stir tomatoes with juice, beans, olives, and zucchini into roasting pan with sausage. Bake 15–20 minutes. Add tortellini and bake 5 minutes longer. Ladle into bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese. Great served with garlic bread.

Note: This soup may be cooked on the stovetop, also.


Fun Fact: Nevada is the driest state in the nation, with an average annual rainfall of only about 7 inches. Much of the state is uninhabited, sagebrush-covered desert. The wettest part of the state receives about 40 inches of precipitation per year, while the driest spot has less than four inches per year.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 5
Total Calories: 1,188
Calories from Fat: 433

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