It’s true that soup season might be winding down, but Alex Drummond isn’t ready to let it go just yet!
She hopped on Instagram recently and admitted something that will probably make a lot of people laugh: “I can count on 1 hand how many times I’ve cooked at home since like 6 weeks pregnant.” Which… fair. 😂 But then a chilly day rolled in and suddenly she was back at the stove making her favorite soup—and thankfully, she walked everyone through exactly how she does it.
It starts the way most good soups do, with a big pot and a little olive oil. Alex adds hot Italian sausage first (she uses the links from Trader Joe’s and takes the casings off), then tosses it in with a chopped yellow onion, a red bell pepper, and some minced garlic. Let that all cook together until the sausage is browned and everything starts to smell like you’re getting hungry!
Once that’s going, she seasons it pretty simply: garlic salt, Italian seasoning, pepper, and just a small shake of red pepper flakes. (Not too much, since the sausage already brings some heat.)
Next, comes the broth. Alex pours in two containers of chicken broth, which turns it into a nice, big, hearty pot of soup. She even pointed out it makes a lot, but that’s part of the appeal because you’ll have leftovers ready to go for the next day.
After that, bring everything to a simmer and add the tortellini. She uses the refrigerated kind, which cooks quickly and makes the soup feel a little more filling without adding much effort. Then she pours in just a splash of cream. “I don’t like to make it toooo creamy because I add cheese to serve, but you do you!” she said.
Right at the end, she stirs in a few handfuls of shredded kale. Her reasoning is simple: “Makes me feel better seeing some green in there 😂.” (You can’t really argue with that!) Let the tortellini cook for about five minutes until it’s soft, then the whole thing is ready. She serves it with shaved parmesan on top, which we recommend measuring with your heart. As one does.
This recipe is warm, a little creamy, and exactly the kind of thing you make when the weather dips just enough to justify one more pot of soup before fully moving on to spring.
