This will be my new go-to soup for when company comes over.  Sometimes you just want to make soup but you feel bad (I feel bad...) if the soup isn't hearty enough to really stick to your (my) guest's bones.  This soup has all your basics- protein, carbs, and loads of veg.


If you don't have venison you can obviously use sweet Italian sausage as the original recipe from Bon Appetit recommends.


Recipe thanks to and adapted from Bon Appetit


{Ingredients You'll Need}

• 1 pound venison country sausage
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 large garlic cloves, sliced
• 5 cups beef stock
• 2 cups chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup spaghetti sauce
• 1 large zucchini, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 medium-sized green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 8 to 10 ounces purchased fresh cheese tortellini
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

{How To}

1.  Sauté sausage in heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat until cooked through and crumbling. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to large bowl then add onion and garlic to Dutch oven and sauté until translucent. Return sausage to Dutch oven. Add stock, tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, zucchini, carrot, bell pepper, wine, basil and oregano. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes. 

2.  Add tortellini to soup and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper if it needs it, sprinkle cheese on top and enjoy!


The soup minus the tortellini can be made 2 days ahead!