Sausage Tortellini Soup

My friend Aunna made this soup for me after I got home from the hospital with Elise. It was so heavenly! I've been wanting to make it myself for awhile, and tonight, I did. Mmmmm. I thought I'd share the recipe with you.
1/2-1 lb Italian sausage (I bet some well-seasoned ground turkey would be good too)
4 cloves pressed garlic
1 onion diced
1/2 c. water
2 cans low-sodium chicken broth (I ended up having to use 3)
1/2 c. apple cider- don't leave this out or it won't taste the same!
16 oz can diced tomatoes
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 c. sliced carrots
1 t. dried basil
1 t. dried oregano
1 medium zucchini grated or chopped (I didn't have zucchini, so I used yellow squash and added fresh spinach for color!)
8-10oz package cheese tortellini- use frozen as it is usually less. I like Buitoni three-cheese whole wheat tortellini
2 T. dried parsley

Brown and crumble the sausage, drain if necessary. Add onions and garlic, cook until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, juice, water, chicken broth, carrots, oregano, and basil. Cover and simmer 1/2 hour. Add parsley and zucchini and simmer another 10-15 minutes. Add the tortellini and cook until tender (check package directions), then serve with bread and freshly-grated parmesan.