Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup

Name: Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 pound regular or spicy turkey Italian sausage; 1 cup chopped onion; 1 cup chopped carrot; 3-4 garlic cloves (minced); 1 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 48 ounces regular or low-sodium chicken broth; 28 ounces fire-roasted diced tomatoes; 8 ounces regular or low-fat cream cheese; 9-14 ounce bag tortellini; 1 cup heavy whipping cream; 5 ounces baby spinach or trimmed/chopped kale

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This Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup is a one pot soup that uses store-bought tortellini and comes together in 30 minutes for a creamy weeknight dinner.

This Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini is quick and easy to make. With just one pot and a few kitchen utensils, your just 30 minutes away to a cool weather, cozy dinner. The heartiness of cheese-filled tortellini, sausage, and the wholesome goodness of fresh vegetables makes it a soul-soothing dinner.

Two other Italian soup favorites that are in rotation in my kitchen and quick to become a favorite are my Lasagna Soup and Crockpot Gnocchi Soup!

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Table of Contents

Why You'll Love this Recipe

Make It Your Own: Sausage tortellini soup can easily be adapted to your palates preference by switching up the types of sausage, seasonings, and using different vegetables.
Beyond Simple to Make: It only requires one pot, a few kitchen utensils, simple ingredients, and takes less than 30 minutes
Leftovers to Look Forward To: This tortellini soup is so delicious that you’ll be anxiously awaiting to reheat them for lunch or another dinner!
Comfort Food Classic: It gives instant cozy vibes with this hearty, savory, delicious creamy tortellini soup!

Ingredients

Regular or Spicy Italian sausage: The star ingredient, providing heartiness tot the dish and a rich, savory, and slightly spicy flavor.
Onion, Carrot, Fresh Garlic: Onions add sweetness, garlic adds a pungent depth, and carrots add a subtle earthiness.
Italian Seasoning: Adds complexity to the flavor profile, enhancing the Italian essence of the dish.
Chicken Broth: Forms the liquid base of the soup. It infuses the dish with a savory taste and provides a comforting, warm feeling.
Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes: Contributes a slightly tangy and sweet flavor, balancing the richness of the sausage and adding a hint of freshness to the soup.
Cream Cheese: Adds a velvety and creamy texture to the soup. It also adds a subtle tangy flavor.
Tortellini: Provides a comforting texture, and the cheese filling adds heartiness, creaminess, and a burst of flavor with each bite.
Heavy Whipping Cream: The fat content in heavy cream adds richness and mellows out the acidity. It also balances the spices and seasonings.
Baby Spinach: Adds vibrant color, nutritional value, and a mild earthy flavor to the soup.
Grated Parmesan: When sprinkled on top just before serving, it melts slightly, adding a delightful layer of umami.

Tools You’ll Need

How to make Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup

To a stockpot on medium-high heat, crumble sausage and cook 3 minutes.

Add onion, carrot and garlic, and sauté until the onions are translucent and sausage is no longer pink, about 2-3 minutes.

Stir in seasonings, broth, tomatoes. Bring to a simmer.

Stir in the cream cheese. Allow to cook 4-8 minutes. Stir until. Blended well.

Once the soup is smooth and bubbling, add the tortellini. Cook until the tortellini is al dente, about 5 minutes.

Fold in the heavy cream and spinach. Simmer 2 minutes.

Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with parmesan cheese.

Tips and Variations

Leftover Variation:
- If you plan to have leftovers, cook the tortellini separately. This way, you can ensure the pasta is perfectly cooked and maintain the desired texture even when reheating leftovers. When you're ready to serve, add the cooked tortellini to the individual soup bowls and ladle the hot soup over it.
- If you already put all of the tortellini in your soup, they’ll soak up the broth quite a bit as it’s stored. If needed, add additional broth when reheated. so this soup is best eaten
Avoid Dairy Separation: Keep in mind that dairy can sometimes separate when frozen. To minimize this, stir the soup gently after reheating. Also, lower fat content liquids can curdle more easily due to the acidity of the tomatoes.
Customize the Spice Level: If you prefer a spicier soup, use hot Italian sausage or add crushed red pepper flakes. For a milder version, opt for sweet Italian sausage.
Sausage Variety: Pork, beef, turkey, chicken or a combination of these ground seasoned meats can work in this recipe.
Tomato Variety: Tomato sauce, regular diced tomatoes, or petite diced tomatoes can be used in place of fire roasted tomatoes.
Green Goodness, optional: If you don’t want to add spinach or kale, simply omit it. If using kale, cook it 1-2 more minutes for optimal tenderness.

How to Make Sausage Tortellini Soup in the Crockpot

Crumble and cook the sausage and onion in a large skillet until the onions are translucent and sausage no longer pink, about 6 minutes. In the last minute of cooking, add the fresh garlic. Transfer the mixture to an 7 quart or larger Crockpot.
Add the carrots, broth, fire roasted tomatoes, and seasonings to the Crockpot. Stir, cover, and cook 7-8 on low or 4-5 hours on high.
About 30 minutes prior to serving, set the Crockpot to high and add the cream cheese in small cubes. Allow it to cook for 5-10 minutes, then stir the mixture vigorously with a whisk until the cream cheese has melted and dispersed evenly.
Lastly, stir in your tortellini, heavy cream, and spinach.

What to serve with Sausage Tortellini Soup

This soup is pretty hearty and could enjoyed by itself. However, if you’d like to add some extra yummy goodness, bread with garlic butter as well as a simple salad like Garlic Bread Caprese Salad, Green Bean Salad or Loaded Restaurant Salad would be great additions.

Another incredible recipe we love to make with tortellini is Pesto Tortellini Salad. It has mouthwatering fresh basil pesto and a blend of delicious vegetables!

Storage and Freezing

Refrigeration: If you plan to consume the soup within a few days, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Make sure the soup has cooled down to room temperature before transferring it to the container. It can stay fresh in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. The longer it’s store, the more liquid the tortellini will absorb.

Freezing: Allow the soup to cool completely before freezing in freezer-safe containers. Divide the soup into meal-sized portions. This makes it easier to reheat only what you need later on without thawing the entire batch.

Thawing: When you're ready to enjoy the frozen soup, transfer the container to the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight.

Reheating: Reheat the soup gently on the stovetop over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally to ensure even heating. Avoid boiling the soup, as it can overcook the tortellini and change the texture of the soup.

Big Batch Freezing: You can make the entire base of the soup, minus the tortellini, and freeze in freezer-safe containers. When you’re ready to consume, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Re-heat slowly on the stove top, and cook the the tortellini according the to recipes directions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I remove the sausage casing to cook the sausage?

Whether you should remove the sausage casing before cooking depends on your preference and the desired texture in your soup:

Keep the Casing:
If you prefer chunks or crumbles of sausage in your soup, you can remove the casing and break the sausage into smaller pieces while cooking. This method allows the sausage to disperse throughout the soup, providing bites of sausage in every spoonful.

Cook with Casing:
If you want the sausage to retain its shape and be sliced or diced in the soup, you can cook it with the casing on. Once cooked, you can then slice or dice the sausage into rounds or bite-sized pieces, adding them back to the soup.

Do I need to brown the sausage before adding it to the soup?

Browning the sausage before adding it to the soup is highly recommended. The sear caramelizes the sugars and fats, intensifying the flavor, adds a slightly crispy texture on the outside, and prevents the sausage from becoming mushy in the soup. Browning the sausage also ensures that it's fully cooked before adding it to the soup.

What type of tortellini is best to use for this recipe?

I use refrigerated tortellini for tortellini soup because it cooks faster, but dried and frozen can work as well. Just note that they will take longer to cook

Should I cook the tortellini separately or in the soup?

If you plan to have leftovers, cook the tortellini separately. This way, you can ensure the pasta is perfectly cooked and maintain the desired texture even when reheating leftovers. When you're ready to serve, add the cooked tortellini to the individual soup bowls and ladle the hot soup over it.

Can I make this recipe vegetarian?

If you prefer a vegetarian version, substitute Italian sausage with plant-based alternatives like vegetarian sausage crumbles or chopped mushrooms for a hearty texture.

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