Sausage Tortellini Soup

This lighter take on hearty sausage soups is cozy with chicken sausage, delicate tortellini, fennel and whatever green vegetables are gracing your market. Fennel is a late winter-early spring crop that works triple time for us here: The bulb is sweet and soft, sliced stalks are crisp-tender and the fronds are chopped for an herb garnish. While fully cooked chicken sausage adds just enough richness, feel free to use any fresh or fully cooked chicken or pork sausage you have and like (just remove fresh sausage from its casings before browning).