Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup has sausage, cheese tortellini, veggies, and herbs in a creamy broth. Finish with Parmesan and crusty bread for a hearty meal.
author’s note
Quick, Creamy, Crave-Worthy!
This recipe actually came together on a random weeknight when I was staring into the fridge trying to figure out dinner.
I had some leftover Italian sausage from pizza night and a pack of tortellini just sitting there. Pasta bake was the easy choice, but I thought, why not soup instead? I browned up the sausage, tossed in some carrots and onions, whisked together a creamy broth, and threw in the tortellini at the very end.
My kids slurped it right up, my husband went back for seconds, and I knew I had a winner. Now this soup shows up on repeat at my house every winter.
Ingredients In Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup
| Ingredient | Tips & Swaps |
|---|---|
| Italian Sausage | Use mild for kids or hot for spice lovers. Blot grease for a lighter broth. Ground chicken or turkey sausage also works. |
| Three Cheese Tortellini | Cook separately to prevent bloating in leftovers. Any fresh or frozen tortellini works. |
| Carrots & Onion | Dice small so they cook evenly and melt into the broth. Celery can be added for more flavor. |
| Chicken Stock | Use a high-quality stock for the best flavor. If you only have broth, add a bouillon cube for extra richness. |
| Spinach | Baby spinach wilts quickly. Kale or Swiss chard can also be swapped in, but add a few minutes earlier to soften. |
| Half & Half or Cream | Half & half keeps it lighter, heavy cream makes it extra rich. |
| Parmesan | Always grate fresh for the best flavor. |
How To Make Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup
- Boil tortellini as directed, drain.
- Brown sausage in olive oil, remove, and drain.
- Sauté onions, carrots, and garlic in pot.
- Add butter and flour, then slowly whisk in chicken broth and simmer.
- Mix in sausage, seasoning, spinach, and cream; simmer until spinach wilts.
Tips For Success
- Salt the pasta water generously for flavorful tortellini.
- Sauté veggies fully so you don’t end up with crunchy onions in your soup.
- Don’t boil after adding cream; just gently simmer to prevent curdling.
- Adjust spice level with hot Italian sausage or a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Storage
- Refrigerate: Store soup and tortellini separately in airtight containers for up to 3-4 days.
- Freeze: Avoid freezing the Sausage Tortellini Soup due to dairy and tortellini, which can separate and become mushy upon thawing.
- Reheat: Warm the soup gently on the stove, adding tortellini last to prevent over-swelling. Do not boil.
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Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup
Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup mixes Italian sausage, cheese tortellini, veggies, and herbs in a creamy broth. Perfect with Parmesan and hearty bread for a cozy meal!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 19 ounces Italian sausage hot or mild
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion 1 small onion
- 1 cup finely diced carrots peeled; about 2 to 3 large carrots
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic about 3 to 4 cloves
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 cups chicken broth or stock, I recommend Swanson’s chicken stock
- 1 (12-ounce) package three-cheese tortellini see note 1
- 1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 3 ounces fresh baby spinach stems removed and coarsely chopped, 4 cups lightly packed
- 2 cups half-and-half or heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese to preference
- Hearty baguette for serving, optional
Instructions
- See note 2. If you’d prefer to cook the tortellini separately, start it now. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Generously season the water with salt (I add 1 teaspoon to every 4 cups). Add tortellini and cook according to package directions, minus 1 minute. Remove, drain, and run under cold water for 30 seconds.
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil and add the sausage. Cook and crumble sausage until browned. Transfer cooked sausage to a paper-towel-lined plate and dab grease with another paper towel. Set aside.
- Keeping the pot at medium-high heat, add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil along with the diced onion and carrots. Season with salt and pepper (I add 1/4 teaspoon each). Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5–7 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Add garlic and sauté 1 more minute, stirring occasionally. Add the butter and allow to melt.
- Once butter is melted, whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly add in chicken broth, whisking to combine. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer and thicken for about 5–8 minutes.
- Return cooked sausage to the pan, along with Italian seasoning, (if using frozen tortellini, add it here), and salt and pepper to taste (I add about 1 and 1/4 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper). Add coarsely chopped spinach and half-and-half to the pot. Stir, then simmer on medium heat for about 3–5 minutes or until the spinach is wilted (and the tortellini is cooked through, if using frozen).
- Serve immediately with lots of freshly grated Parmesan and a hearty baguette, if desired. If tortellini was cooked separately, add spoonfuls of cooked tortellini to individual bowls. Store tortellini and leftover soup separately to avoid pasta bloating.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: While any tortellini works, my favorite readily available shelf-stable tortellini is Barilla® Artisanal Collection Three-Cheese Tortellini. As for fresh-made tortellini, I love Giovanni Rana’s® Classic Cheese Mini Tortellini. It’s a little more tricky to find, but it’s fresh, delicious, and small so they incorporate better into the soup. If you’d like to cook the tortellini in the soup (instead of separately), you’ll want to get frozen tortellini that cooks in about 3–5 minutes.
Note 2: I like to cook tortellini separately to keep it from getting bloated and in case there are leftovers. (The tortellini continues to absorb liquid and becomes an unpleasant texture when stored.) If you’d like to cook it separately, bring a pot of water to boil and cook it in a separate pot. Ignore instructions for adding the tortellini into the soup to cook and simply add cooked tortellini when serving.
Storage: Keep soup and tortellini in separate airtight containers in the fridge for 3–4 days. Sausage Tortellini Soup isn’t a good candidate for freezing due to dairy and tortellini, which can separate and become mushy when thawed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 621kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 1547mg | Potassium: 767mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 8414IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 205mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this today it was a o good
So happy you enjoyed!
Looks good
Thanks Coco!! 🙂
Thanks for the helpful hints. I used them. I cooked the tortellini separately. Worked very well.
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks Debbie! 🙂
One of my favorite soup recipes! I have made it several times and it is always a winner. Sometimes spicy sometimes mild. Also used kale instead of spinach once or twice. I am making this as written this weekend for a handful of friends. I usually make crusty bread but this time I am going to make a pepperoni and cheese monkey bread. Thank you for a great recipe.
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Sheryl! 🙂
No tortellini to be had at our only grocery store. I am pulling out the pasta maker and making them from scratch.
You’re amazing!!
This soup was amazing! Both my husband and I loved it! Can’t wait to take it to a pitch-in. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks Laura! 🙂
19 ounces of meat is an odd amount. Is it correct?
Sausage links typically come in packages of 19 ounces. 1 pound will work just fine too though
This soup is amazing! Everyone loves it. We use the spicy sausage to give it a little kick. Thanks Chelsea!
Delish! So glad it was a hit! Thanks for your comment! 🙂