Cheese Tortellini Soup With Cannellini, Kielbasa & Kale

Submitted by Leslie Kurtz 

Ingredients: Two tablespoons olive oil, Twelve ounces fully cooked smoked kielbasa sausage, thinly sliced, One onion, chopped, One and a half tablespoons FRESH thyme, One cup chopped fresh fennel bulb, Four (or more to your liking) garlic cloves, minced; One quarter teaspoon dried crushed red pepper, Ten cups canned low-salt chicken broth, Four cups chopped kale (1/2 bunch), Two – 15 oz can Cannellini beans, rinsed & drained, One – 9 oz package cheese tortellini (fresh, not dried pasta), One cup grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese. 

Preparation: Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium high heat.  Add next 6 ingredients & sauté until vegetables are soft & kielbasa is brown, about 12 minutes.  Add broth & bring to boil.  Stir in kale & Cannellini.  Reduce heat to low & simmer until kale is silted, about 4 minutes.  Add tortellini to soup.  Simmer until pasta is just tender but still firm to bite, about 5 minutes.