Best Sausage Tortellini Soup

5 from 10 votes

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.

Prep Time30

Cook Time40

Total Time1 10

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Author: Grace Vallo

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