Sausage Tortellini Spinach Soup

Ingredients

1 pound ground Spicy Italian sausage
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp flour
1 tspdried basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1 pinch cayenne, optional
1 tsp hot sauce
1/2 tsp pepper
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 cup heavy cream (note: I used cottage cheese when I didn't have heavy cream on hand)
5 cups chicken broth
2 cups (1 bunch) fresh spinach, chopped
1 small package tortellini (10 oz)
Salt/ to taste

Directions

Remove the casings from the sausage. Crumble and cook the sausage and diced onions over medium-high heat until the onions are softened and the sausage is cooked through, 8-10 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.

Add basil, oregano, cayenne, hot sauce, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.

Add the chicken broth and use spatula to 'clean' the bottom of the pot. Slowly stir in the heavy cream. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer.

Add the spinach and tortellini and simmer for 3-5 minutes. (If your tortellini needs longer cooking time, add the tortellini first, then the spinach during the last 5 minutes.)

Taste the soup and add salt if desired.