Broccoli rabe and sausage tortellini soup is a recipe inspired by my dad and grandma. My dad always makes a sausage soup with broccoli rabe and usually adds a grain like barley, instead of tortellini. And every time I even smell broccoli rabe I think of my grandmother, who was constantly around when we were growing up.
A lot of people don't know what broccoli rabe/rapini is. When I tell people about it where I live now, they often have no idea what I'm talking about. In order to make this soup, my wife had to drive 45 minutes to find us some broccoli rabe. Luckily, she found us a Sprouts that sells it year round!
Ingredients for Broccoli Rabe and Tortellini Soup
- 1½ lbs hot Italian sausage
- 1 bushel of broccoli rabe, roughly chopped
- ½ lb tortellini
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 2½ quarts chicken broth
- 1 parmesan rind
- 10 basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon calabrian peppers (substitute 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper if necessary)
- ⅓ cup of white wine
- 2 teaspoon salt
Start with the Sausage
I always start with the sausage. Remove the link from the casing or season your own ground pork. I make homemade sausage every 6 months and freeze it for later use. I store it in 1.5 lb batches. Let the sausage sit out for 30 minutes before you cook it. Bringing the sausage to room temperature will make getting a good crust easier.
Heat a large dutch oven to medium-high heat. Brown the sausage until no longer pink about 7 minutes. Don't overmix. Let the sausage sit for a few minutes at a time so it develops a crust. Remove the sausage once it is no longer pink and set aside.
Softening the Vegetables
In the oil from the sausage, saute the carrots, celery, and onion until softened. You may need to lower the heat to medium if the vegetables begin browning. The onion should become translucent but not develop brown edges.
Once the vegetables are softened, for about 8 minutes, stir in the garlic and calabrian peppers. Saute the garlic for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add white wine and simmer until it is completely absorbed by the vegetables.
Wilting the Broccoli Rabe
Add the chopped and rinsed broccoli rabe with 1 teaspoon salt to the pot with ½ cup of chicken broth and cover for 5 minutes. Let the broccoli rabe wilt. Uncover and stir well.
Making it Soup
It is time to turn the broccoli rabe into broccoli rabe and tortellini soup! Add the rest of the chicken broth, basil, and parmesan rind. Bring to a boil and then return to a simmer. Add the sausage back in and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the tortellini in and simmer for another 10 minutes until the tortellini is al dente.
Serve this broccoli rabe and tortellini soup with plenty of grated parmesan cheese and a nice Italian or sourdough bread.
Can I omit the sausage?
Yes, you can omit the sausage and the chicken broth and replace them with vegetable broth. Keep in mind you'll need to use some oil to saute the vegetables without the animal fat from the sausage.
Can I Substitute Broccoli for Broccoli Rabe
Broccoli rabe has a very distinct and powerful taste. I wouldn't substitute broccoli because there wouldn't be enough flavor in just the broccoli. You could replace the broccoli rabe with escarole though instead.
Hearty, Healthy Soup
Everything is a hearty healthy soup. You see it on every can of soup in the supermarket. I hate to use the word healthy because "healthy" is a spectrum. It is better to eat a can of soup than a chocolate donut for dinner. But canned soup is highly processed and the reason we call this blog Always From Scratch, is because it is important to us to decrease our processed food intake.
I want to provide my family with as much homemade food as their hearts desire. Soup is an easy way to do that. We make soup almost weekly in the winter. We always make double batches and keep some in the freezer. This makes it so we don't get bored of the same soup and can switch it up.
Soup is a great way for us to eat a balanced diet in a single bowl without having to cook 3 separate items. Yes, it can take a while to simmer soup. But an hour and 15 minutes later we have a food that feeds the whole family with vegetables, proteins, carbs, and fats. It is filled with nutrients and it was made by our hands.
Doesn't work for everyone. But if you have time one day, make a huge batch of soup and store some in the freezer! You'll thank yourself later!
If you love this soup, leave us a review below and let us know what you think. Try out some of our others too!
📖 Recipe
Broccoli Rabe and Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs hot Italian sausage
- 1 bushel of broccoli rabe, roughly chopped
- ½ lb tortellini
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 2½ quarts chicken broth
- 1 parmesan rind
- 10 basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon calabrian peppers
- ⅓ cup white wine
- 2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large sauce pot or dutch oven on medium-high heat, brown the hot Italian sausage. Once no pink remains, remove the sausage from the pot. About 7 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to medium heat. In the oil from the sausage, stir in carrots, celery, and onion. Add salt and pepper to the mixture for taste. Saute until soft and onions are translucent, about 8-10 minutes. Then add in garlic and calabrian peppers and saute until fragrant. Add white wine and simmer until completely absorbed.
- Add all of the broccoli rabe and a ½ cup of chicken broth. Cover the dutch oven and leave it for 3-5 minutes or until the broccoli rabe is wilted. Add salt and stir well until vegetables are mixed throughout.
- Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and return to a simmer. Add in sausage, parmesan rind, and more salt, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the basil leaves.
- Add tortellini and simmer for another 10 minutes or until tortellini is cooked through. Serve with grated parmesan cheese.
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