Tortellini soup with Cannellini and Kielbasa

From Epicurious again.

1 tbs olive oil
12 ounces fully cooked smoked kielbasa sausage, thinly sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh fennel bulb
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
8 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
4 cups chopped kale (1/2 bunch)
1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed, drained
1 9-ounce package cheese tortellini

1 cup grated Asiago cheese* or Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat.
Add the vegetables, sausage and spices and sauté until vegetables are soft and kielbasa is brown, about 12 minutes.
Add broth and bring to boil.
Stir in kale and cannellini.
Reduce heat to low and simmer until kale is wilted, about 4 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly; cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.)
Add tortellini to soup.
Simmer until pasta is just tender but still firm to bite, about 5 minutes.
Ladle soup into bowls. Serve, passing cheese separately.

My notes-
I often leave out fennel, not really a fan. Add in carrots and celery if you have it. Low fat turkey sausage works fine in this recipe as well. If you aren't going to eat the whole recipe in one night, spoon out the pasta and store separately to they won't get soggy. I also use spinach instead of kale.

Toddler update 11/3/2011-
We made this tonight with kale from the CSA and while the wilting took a lot longer than 4 minutes, I totally prefer the kale instead of spinach in this recipe now. Toddlers had seconds in some cases and even said they liked the kale. Thumbs up all around.

Update 7/11/2013-
We've made another version of this since once girl didn't like the smoked sausage version last time.  Instead, cook up 1 lbs pork sausage with the casings removed and set aside.  Cook the veggies until soft then add the sausage with 3 cups chicken broth, 3 cups beef broth and 1 can diced tomatoes with basil and oregano.  Don't add beans to this version and you've got Italian Tortellini or Ravioli soup. 

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