Instant Pot Tortellini Soup with Sausage

From aromaticessence.com

Ingredients

1 to 1.25 lbs lean hot Italian sausage, casings removed, you may substitute with sweet Italian sausage

1 medium onion diced finely

3 to 4 cloves of garlic minced

15 oz can tomato sauce

4 teaspoons Better than Bouillon chicken stock base dissolved in 4 cups of hot water, or 1-quart, less-sodium chicken stock or broth

9 oz package refrigerated cheese tortellini

2 oz baby spinach, can add more if you like

3/4th to 1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoon olive oil

Grated parmesan cheese, as required, optional

Seasoning mix:

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste

1/2 teaspoon black pepper or to taste

Directions

1. Press the 'SAUTE' button, and set it to 'NORMAL'. Once it displays 'HOT', add olive oil. Add the sausage, cook, breaking it into crumbles, until no longer pink and lightly browned. Drain off excess grease, if any.
2. Add diced onions along with minced garlic, sauté until the onions soften and turn translucent. As the onions sweat, it will release the browned bits at the bottom of the pot.
3. Add the seasoning mix, and sauté for another minute.
4. At this point, you should not have any browned bits stuck at the bottom, if you do, de-glaze the pot with 1/4 cup of the chicken stock, and scrape the bottom to remove the browned bits. Add the tomato sauce and chicken stock, give everything a good mix.
5. Press 'CANCEL', close the lid of the Instant Pot. Set the valve to 'SEALING'. Pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. It will take some time for the pressure to build up (about 15 minutes), after which the timer will begin.
6. Let the pot depressurize for 5 minutes. Then do a quick release of the remaining pressure as per the manufacturer's instructions. Once the silver pin drops, turn the knob to 'VENTING' and open the lid away from you.
7. Press the 'SAUTE' button, set it to 'NORMAL', bring the soup to a boil. Add the fresh tortellini, mix well. Let it cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until they float to the top.
8. Stir in the spinach mixing it until it wilts.
9. Finally, add the heavy cream, and give everything a good mix. Check for seasoning and adjust with more salt and pepper if required.
10. Dish out, sprinkle grated parmesan (optional), serve alongside grilled cheese sandwiches or homemade crusty bread. Leftovers can be refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, add some stock to adjust the consistency of the soup.