It’s no secret that a bowl of steaming hot, comforting soup on a cold day is the best. This Italian sausage tortellini soup is filled with crumbled sausage, kale and a touch of cream. The base is made with both chicken broth and cream so it’s just the right amount of creaminess.
Save the Recipe!
My husband and I love making tortellini soup on a Sunday night as an easy, one-pot dinner to have throughout the following week! Infused with Italian herbs and a pinch of fennel, this soup has an Italian flare that’s really yummy. It’s so yummy, in fact, that the hubby requests this soup almost weekly in the winter. I swear he’s going to turn into a TORTELLINI!
Craving more winter soups? Try my Butternut Squash Soup and Chicken and Rice Soup.
Why You’ll Love This Sausage Tortellini Soup
- Creamy (without being too thick)
- Full of Italian flavor
- Great made ahead
Ingredients
- Sweet or spicy Italian sausage (or both!) – I like Italian pork sausage but you can also use chicken sausage.
- Frozen or fresh tortellini – frozen tortellini retains its texture a bit better but both work.
- Tomato paste – gives your soup a beautiful blush pink color and enhances the flavor of the broth
- Heavy cream – for a creamy soup, heavy cream is the best option. I don’t recommend using milk or half and half because they can curdle under heat.
- Parmesan cheese rind – a Parmigiano-Reggiano rind flavors the entire soup! It’s the secret ingredient.
- Kale – use regular kale not baby kale since it is a bit sturdier and heartier, adding a pop of green and touch of sweetness.
- Mirepoix – chopped carrots, celery, and yellow onion are the base of a great soup like this one!
- Garlic – garlic makes everything better!
- Italian seasoning – you can get an Italian seasoning blend right in the grocery store. It’s a mix of Italian herbs so you don’t need to buy a ton of different ones separately.
- Fennel seeds – a dash of fennel seeds enhances the flavor of the sausage.
- Can of whole tomatoes – separate the whole tomatoes from the sauce and use a fork to pull a few of the whole tomatoes apart so you don’t have a tomato soup, but rather chunks of tomato!
- Chicken broth – I use low-sodium chicken broth but you can use regular or even vegetable broth.
- Extra virgin olive oil – to sauté your veggies, a splash of olive oil is all you need!
How to Make Sausage Tortellini Soup
Here’s how to make the BEST sausage tortellini soup:
- Cook sausage. Remove sausage from casings and cook sausage meat in a large pot over medium heat. As the sausage cooks, use a large spoon to break up sausage meat into crumbles. Use a slotted spoon to remove sausage from pot and set aside. Drain fat.
- Cook veggies. Over medium-high heat, add olive oil, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Sweat for 3-4 minutes. Add chicken broth, parmesan rind, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, shredded tomatoes, and salt and pepper. Stir.
- Add tortellini. Cover pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add tortellini and cook to al dente.
- Add finishing touches. Remove the cheese rind. Add crumbled sausage, tomato paste, cream, and kale. Stir.
- Heat and enjoy. Heat soup until hot and serve!
Variations
- Instead of Italian sausage, try ground turkey or chicken.
- Instead of kale, try spinach.
- Instead of chicken broth, try vegetable broth.
- Like a creamier soup? Use 1 cup of cream and 7 ½ cups of chicken broth!
Storage and Freezing
How long is sausage tortellini soup good for? Store in an airtight container for 5-6 days in the fridge.
Does sausage tortellini soup freeze well? I do not recommend freezing the soup. I don’t find that creamy soups freeze well!
How do you reheat sausage tortellini soup? Keep in mind that the tortellinis will become very soft and will fall apart a bit when reheated. If you prefer, don’t add tortellini to soup that won’t be eaten right away. Place leftover soup without tortellini in a pot and reheat until hot. Add tortellini 3-5 minutes before serving, so tortellinis stay al-dente! It’s best if reheated low and slow on the stove until hot. Or you can microwave your soup, stirring every minute, until hot!
More Favorite Soup Recipes You’ll Love!
If you’ve tried this Sausage Tortellini Soup Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please let me know in the comments below. I love hearing from you. Please consider leaving a 🌟 star rating while you are here!
Best Sausage Tortellini Soup
Equipment
- Large stockpot
Ingredients
- 6 Italian sausages, spicy, sweet or both
- 1 pound plain tortellini
- 1 parmigiano-reggiano (or parmesan) cheese rind
- 2 cups kale, chopped (regular not baby kale)
- 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, use 6 whole tomatoes from the can*
- 1 ½ cups yellow onion, chopped
- 1 ½ cups celery, chopped
- 1 ½ cups carrots, chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Remove sausage from casings and cook sausage meat in a large stock pot over medium heat (no oil needed). As the sausage cooks, use a large spoon to break up sausage meat into small chunks/crumbles. When sausage meat is cooked through (about 10 minutes), use a slotted spoon to remove sausage from pot and set aside in a separate bowl. Drain fat from pot and place back on the stove.
- Over medium-high heat, add olive oil, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Sweat for 3-4 minutes. Add chicken broth, parmesan rind, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, shredded tomatoes, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir.
- Cover pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. When soup starts to simmer, add tortellini and cook to al dente according to package instructions (about 3-4 minutes).
- When tortellini is al dente, remove the cheese rind. Add crumbled sausage, tomato paste, cream, and kale. Stir.
- Heat soup for a few more minutes until hot.
Video
Notes
- *Open can of whole peeled tomatoes and use a fork to remove 6 whole tomatoes from the can. Use 2 forks to shred whole tomatoes into large pieces.
- Use a sharp knife to slice open sausage casings and pop the meat out into a pot.
- TIP: Keep in mind that the tortellinis will become very soft and will fall apart a bit when reheated. If you prefer, don’t add tortellini to soup that won’t be eaten right away. Place leftover soup without tortellini in a pot and reheat until hot. Add tortellini 3-5 minutes before serving, so tortellinis stay al-dente!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious tortellini soup!! Hit the spot! I especially love the way you and Eric love your food. Your foodie enthusiasm is so endearingโค๏ธ I also love to see ur dad cook. I see where u get ur passion from, Grace. Itโs a pleasure to cook for people who appreciate food.
Notes like this are what motivate me! Thank you so much for your kind words about the recipe and about my blog! You made my week!
Grace
Love all soups! I could eat them all day, everyday! We are having quite the snowstorm here in Connecticut today, I think I have most of the ingredients! A great day for soup!
Big snow storm here in Greater Boston too! Stay warm and enjoy that big bowl of soup!!
Best ever.
OMG where did you get that bowl!?!? so beautiful. I’ve never taken sausage out of the casing before…super cool tip. Thanks!
Crate and Barrel! One of my favorite dishes (the dish itself and what’s inside it!). Glad you enjoy.
The best soup ever!
So happy to hear!