This Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup is a one-pot cozy soup recipe featuring a rich and creamy tomato broth, Italian sausage, kale, and cheese tortellini. It is guaranteed to leave you satisfied!
Looking for more recipes featuring Italian sausage? Don’t miss my recipes for Lasagna Skillet, Instant Pot Rigatoni, and Homemade Bolognese Sauce.
Quick & Easy Tortellini Soup
From the hearty Italian sausage to the cheese-filled pasta to the leafy greens to the rich tomato broth, this cozy sausage tortellini soup delivers a comforting soup with ease. Using just only one pan and the best combination of flavorful ingredients, this recipe for Tortellini Soup comes together in just under 30 minutes!
How to Make Sausage Tortellini Soup
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Sauté Italian Sausage
To build a rich, nuanced soup, you want to start to this recipe by sautéing Italian sausage with minced onions, garlic, and oregano. Whether you select lean turkey sausage or classic pork sausage, the Italian sausage lends an incredible amount of flavor and heartiness to the soup, while the onions, garlic, and oregano enhance and compliment the flavor in the sausage.
Build the Rich Broth
Once the sausage has been fully browned, add in chicken stock or vegetable broth and crushed tomatoes. You don’t need much in terms of other seasonings, as the sausage, onions, and garlic are the key building blocks to a flavorful soup. However, I do suggest adding a pinch of kosher salt and balsamic vinegar to round out the flavors. I know the balsamic sounds like an odd addition, but it adds rich, deep notes and the acidity will balance out the overall richness of the tortellini soup.
Finish with Tortellini, Kale, and Cream
Once the soup has simmered and the flavors have had to time to meld together, you want to add in the tortellini, chopped kale, and cream. The tortellini makes the soup, while the kale adds nutrients and texture to the soup and the cream adds a luxurious finish and helps to tame the bit of spice in the soup from the sausage and red pepper flakes. Simmer just until the tortellini is tender and the kale has just wilted.
Serving Suggestions
This recipe for Sausage Tortellini Soup is hearty enough that it can stand alone, but I love to pair it with homemade garlic toast and a side salad dressed with balsamic dressing for a cozy, hearty, easy meal! I also recommend topping with fresh basil and lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese–because parmesan is never a bad idea!
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate: Allow the tortellini soup to cool slightly and then transfer it to an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this soup due to the addition of the heavy cream, as it can easily separate when frozen.
- Reheat: Reheat individual servings in heat-safe bowls covered with a damp paper towel in 60-second intervals until warmed through or reheat several servings in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until warmed through. Keep in mind that the tortellini will absorb liquid as it sits, so you may need to thin the soup out with additional broth.
Modifications for Tortellini Soup
- Make it Vegetarian: Leave out the sausage and use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock for a meatless tortellini soup that still packs a ton a flavor.
- Swap out Kale for Spinach: Feel free to use baby spinach leaves in place of the chopped kale. But because spinach takes less time to wilt, simply stir into the soup right before serving, rather than adding with the tortellini.
- Low-Fat Tortellini Soup: This recipe in and of itself is not particularly low in fat or calories. You can decrease the fat and calories by using lean turkey or chicken Italian sausage in place of pork sausage and omitting the cream. The tortellini will still be rich enough to make this soup feel decadent.
- Swap out the Cheese Tortellini: Feel free to use spinach tortellini or tortellini filled with meat if desired.
- Control the Spice: Increase or decrease the crushed pepper flakes to taste. Keep in mind that using mild Italian sausage instead of hot Italian sausage, will result in a milder spice level, while hot Italian sausage will make the soup rather spicy.
More Easy Soup Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe for Tortellini Soup, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup
This Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup is a one-pot cozy soup recipe featuring a rich and creamy tomato broth, Italian sausage, kale, and cheese tortellini. It is guaranteed to leave you satisfied!
Print
Pin
Rate
Servings: 6
Calories: 546kcal
Prevents your screen from going dark while preparing the recipe.
Instructions
-
In a large heavy-bottomed skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add in 1 minced onion and 1 pound ground sausage and sauté, breaking up the sausage as it browns. Once the meat is nearly browned, add in 2 cloves of minced garlic, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon oregano and sauté for 1 minute longer. Drain off any excess grease, if needed, and return the sausage back to the pan.
-
Stir in the 4 cups of broth, 14.5 ounces crushed tomatoes, 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, and ½ teaspoon salt into the sausage mixture and bring to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
-
Stir in 9 ounces of cheese tortellini, 5 cups of chopped kale, and ½ cup heavy cream and simmer until the tortellini is tender and the kale is wilted for about 8-12 minutes.
-
Serve with fresh chopped parsley or basil and freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Notes
Using Spinach in place of Kale: Fresh spinach needs less cooking time than kale, meaning you will only need to simmer for an additional 1-2 minutes to heat through after adding to the soup.
Reduce Fat and Calories: Decrease the fat and calories by using lean turkey or chicken Italian sausage in place of pork sausage and omitting the cream. Nutrition has been calculated using pork sausage and heavy cream.
Storage: Allow the tortellini soup to cool slightly and then transfer it to an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat individual servings in heat-safe bowls covered with a damp paper towel in 60-second intervals until warmed through or reheat several servings in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until warmed through.
Nutrition
Calories: 546kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 595mg | Potassium: 686mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 6061IU | Vitamin C: 75mg | Calcium: 197mg | Iron: 4mg
This recipe for Sausage Tortellini Soup was originally published in 2021 and updated in 2024.