Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon Rocky Mountain Olive Oil Herbes de Provence Infused Olive Oil
• 1/2 pound mild Italian sausage
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 bunch curly leaf kale (about 6 ounces), large veins removed and torn into large pieces
• 1 10-ounce package fresh tortellini (we suggest cheese or spinach)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat Herbes de Provence Infused Olive Oil olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

2. Add sausage, breaking apart as it cooks, until browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl; set aside.

3. Return saucepan to medium heat and add carrot, onion and celery; season with salt and pepper. Sauté this mix, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes.

4. Add garlic, thyme and bay leaf and sauté until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes more.

5. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer; let boil gently for 5 minutes.

6. Add kale, cooked sausage and tortellini and simmer until tortellini is just cooked through (refer to package directions as exact cook time for your particular tortellini may vary). If you don’t plan to eat the whole batch of soup at once, you can also choose to just cook half the tortellini, then cook the rest when you re-heat the soup, that way the pasta doesn’t get soggy.

7. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper as needed. Spoon into bowls and serve warm.