This comes from Eileen who has gotten nothing but great compliments whenever she makes it.  Also it does freeze very well.

Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup

This meal comes together pretty fast. It's a very hearty meal, that goes great with a salad.
It's a versatile recipe in that you can add additional vegetables or even a can of drained and rinsed cannelini beans, for more protein.

Ingredients

3 Italian turkey sausage links (4 ounces each), casings removed (I used the "hot" sausage version) 

1 medium onion, chopped 

6 garlic cloves, minced 

4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth 

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained 

1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini 

1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped 

2-1/4 teaspoons minced fresh basil or 3/4 teaspoon dried basil (or, you can substitute thyme and oregano) 

1/4 teaspoon pepper Dash crushed red pepper flakes (optional if not using hot turkey sausage) Shredded Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions

DIRECTIONS

Crumble sausage into a Dutch oven; add onion. Cook and stir over medium heat until meat is no longer pink.

Add garlic; cook and stir 2 minutes longer.

Add the broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil.

Stir in tortellini; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-8 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally.

Add the spinach, basil, pepper and pepper flakes; cook 2-3 minutes longer or until spinach is wilted. Serve with cheese if desired.

Yield: 6 servings (2 quarts

Number of Servings: 6

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 6
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 251.9

• Total Fat: 8.4 g
• Cholesterol: 53.9 mg
• Sodium: 1,136.5 mg
• Total Carbs: 27.3 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.3 g
• Protein: 17.3 g 
• WW Points 5