Brown sausage and drain grease. I rinse off the sausage with water as well using a strainer to drain the excess water.
Add chopped onion, garlic, peppers, carrots and seasonings and saute. Add a little broth for sauteing.
Sometimes I will add vegetable broth with the beef broth, as it really compliments the flavors. But beef alone will be delicious too. And now go ahead and add all the broth.
I like to puree the tomatoes before I add them to the soup. My kids prefer not getting chunks of tomatoes in their bites of soup. I use a quick hand mixer to do the job. This is convenient and works great!
Add the tomatoes and the tomato sauce. Last but not least, add the sliced zucchini. Cover and let simmer for 1 hour.
Bring to a boil and add cheese tortellini. Use any that you like in the freezer section of the store. Let cook according to the instructions on the tortellini package. For gluten, dairy, and yeast free use any shape of pasta you like. I use a spaghetti noodle and break it into shorter pieces.
Serve up with grated Parmesan or Italian blend cheese or if you are like me and allergic to milk, try sheep cheese or a vegan product like Follow Your Heart Cheese. I often make homemade rolls or pretzels to go with this soup.
For myself I have a purchased gluten-free roll, make my favorite gluten-free sandwich roll, or I have a warm corn tortilla on the side.
I usually make a large kettle of both regular and gluten-free tortellini soup and put the leftovers in the freezer for a quick dinner on a busy night.