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This Italian sausage tortellini soup recipe is loaded with flavorful sausage and cheesy pasta in an irresistible creamy tomato broth. It has very little prep time and can be on your table in just 40 minutes!

Try my fairly similar Crockpot Tortellini Soup with Sausage if you’d like an alternative cooking method.

close-up of a bowl of italian sausage tortellini soup with shaved parmesan cheese on top

Why you’ll love it

You know that feeling you get when you eat the perfect bowl of soup, and it warms you up from the inside out? Yes, this cheese tortellini soup with sausage is the best comfort food meal on a chilly day! Italian sausage and tortellini are an iconic duo, and the creamy tomato broth is so good.

One of the awesome things about this soup is that it has minimal prep time. Chop the onion and celery, crumble the sausage (or use sausage meat), and that’s essentially it. It means that a complete and filling dinner for your whole family is ready faster on busy weeknights.

What you’ll need

  • Italian sausage – it has a fantastic blend of herbs and spices. I use mild.
  • Onion, celery, and garlic – these staples are the building blocks to any good soup
  • Flour – to thicken the broth
  • Chicken broth – another layer of flavor
  • Diced tomatoes – tomatoes complement the sausage, and using the juices too is important for depth of flavor
  • Italian seasoning – this blend of herbs including rosemary, oregano, and thyme makes the soup special. It comes in a single jar.
  • Cheese tortellini – I use refrigerated tortellini because it cooks faster, but you’re welcome to use dried; just note that it’ll take longer to cook
  • Heavy cream – don’t skip the cream! The silky texture and taste is so good.
  • Spinach – tossing in a handful of baby spinach sneaks in some extra veggies
ingredients for italian sausage tortellini soup in bowls and measuring cups on a marble counter

Tools for this recipe

Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!

  • Use a soup pot or sturdy Dutch oven for this soup.
  • I recommend this ladle. It’s great at not spilling everywhere when dishing up soup.
  • For the other half of the onion you’ll have left, store in this cute onion saver. And easily mince the garlic with a garlic press. No peeling needed!

How to make Italian sausage tortellini soup

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

browning sausage meat and cooking onions and celery in a soup pot for italian sausage tortellini soup

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven sauté the crumbled sausage meat until browned. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate, drain most of the fat, and then cook the chopped onion and celery.

adding flour and broth to italian sausage tortellini soup in the cooking process

Add in the flour and garlic and cook for a minute, stirring constantly. Slowly pour in the chicken broth.

last steps of making creamy sausage tortellini soup and adding cream, tortellini, and sausage meat

Add the tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and sausage meat. Bring to a boil, add in the pasta, and simmer. Finally, stir in the cream and spinach.

Substitutions and variations

  • Be careful subbing the cream because the acidity of the tomatoes may curdle anything with a lower fat content than heavy cream.
  • Try a different variety of sausage like chicken or turkey to change it up.
  • If you’re not a fan of regular diced tomatoes, use petite diced tomatoes or tomato sauce instead.
  • Craving something spicy? Throw in some crushed red pepper flakes or use hot Italian sausage.
  • If spinach isn’t your thing, try kale, but let it cook for a little bit longer. This recipe is very flexible, so add in more veggies if you happen to have any on hand that need using up.

Make ahead tip

  • If you plan on having leftovers, add the cheese tortellini to individual portions instead when you reheat them. That way, the pasta will cook quickly right in the soup when you need it and won’t have gone too soft!

What to serve with sausage tortellini soup

Leftovers and storage

  • I recommend eating this soup within a couple of days. The tortellini will soak up the broth and puff up the longer it’s in the fridge.
  • You can freeze this soup, but if you want to freeze the entire batch, it’s best to leave out the cream, spinach, and tortellini and then add them when you’re reheating.
  • If you freeze leftovers as-is, the pasta may not have the same texture as when first cooked.
close-up of a ladle in a soup pot with creamy italian sausage tortellini soup

I hope you try this sausage and tortellini soup recipe! I’d love it if you left a star rating and review below. You can also find me on Instagram.

close-up of a bowl of italian sausage tortellini soup with shaved parmesan cheese on top
4.99 from 166 votes

Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup

This Italian sausage tortellini soup recipe is loaded with flavorful sausage and cheesy pasta in an irresistible creamy tomato broth. It has very little prep time and can be on your table in just 40 minutes!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients 

  • 16 ounces Italian sausage see note
  • 1/2 medium onion chopped finely
  • 2 sticks celery chopped finely
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 3-4 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
  • 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 generous cups refrigerated cheese tortellini
  • 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
  • 2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach optional
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • Add the sausage meat to a large soup pot. Sauté over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 7-10 minutes, or until the sausage is browned all over.
  • Take the sausage out of the pot and set it aside on a paper towel lined plate. Leave about a tablespoon of the fat in the pot (drain any excess).
  • Add the onion and celery to the pot and cook for 4-5 minutes.
  • Add the flour and garlic and cook for a minute, stirring constantly. 
  • Slowly add the chicken broth and stir until the flour has completely dissolved. 
  • Add the canned tomatoes and Italian seasoning to the pot. Also add the sausage back in. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a gentle boil. 
  • Once it’s boiling, add the tortellini and reduce the heat so it’s gently simmering. Cook for 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the cream and cook for another 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the spinach and season with salt & pepper to taste.

Notes

  • For the sausages, anything around the 16 ounce/1 pound ballpark is fine – it doesn’t need to be exact. You can either buy ground sausage meat or, if using whole sausages, take the meat out of the casings.
  • This recipe is also in chapter 5 of the Salt & Lavender: Everyday Essentials hardcover cookbook.

Nutrition

Calories: 564kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 42g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 15g, Cholesterol: 126mg, Sodium: 1511mg, Potassium: 709mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 1740IU, Vitamin C: 29mg, Calcium: 164mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.

Leave a star rating and comment below!

This recipe was originally published on November 28, 2017. It’s been tweaked to be even easier, tastier, and has new photos!


Hi! Iโ€™m Natasha.

Salt & Lavender is a recipe blog with a focus on delicious comfort food using everyday ingredients. Beat the weekday grind with hundreds of easy-to-follow and hassle-free recipes!

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4.99 from 166 votes (27 ratings without comment)

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414 Comments

  1. Catherine says:

    Would a 6-quart crock pot be too small for this recipe?

    1. Natasha says:

      I use a 7 quart one myself. It might be ok… but it’ll be quite full. You can gauge using the photos on the crockpot version of this soup. Here it is: https://bit.ly/3AaH8t8

  2. Joan Z. says:

    5 stars
    This soup came together easily with minimal prep time. Except for the omission of celery, followed the recipe exactly to delicious results. Might have been *just* a little more generous with the tortellini. Enjoyed by all. Thank you!

    1. Natasha says:

      You’re very welcome!!

  3. Tiffany Busch says:

    5 stars
    I really enjoyed making this, it came together easily and I doubled the recipe. When I served the soup I grated a little pecorino romano on the top gave it a little zing. Delicious will definitely be making again.

    1. Natasha says:

      Thank you!!

  4. Pam says:

    I absolutely LOVE this soup! It’s one of my family’s favorites too! I’ve been making it awhile now but have never been brave enough to try freezing some of the leftovers. How would I go about that?

    1. Natasha says:

      Hi Pam! I’m so glad it’s a fam fave. There’s freezer instructions under the “leftovers and storage” section of the blog post. ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. Allie Burgess says:

    5 stars
    So easy and delish!!

    1. Natasha says:

      Thank you!!

  6. Elizabeth says:

    5 stars
    I made this tonight, and my husband and I loved it! It was very easy to make and didnโ€™t require much time to complete. I think Iโ€™d skip the celery next time or chop it even smaller than I did this time around โ€” mine was finely diced, but it was still slightly crunchy. I love that I could make this in the Dutch oven or use your other recipe with the crock pot. Delicious! Thank you!!

    1. Natasha says:

      You’re very welcome!

  7. Kim Cloward says:

    5 stars
    I have made this recipe many times. I love the flavor, textures, and hearty soup. I add sliced mushrooms, too. It is fantastic for leftovers- just need to add a little more broth and shaved parmesan on top.

    1. Natasha says:

      Love that!!! ๐Ÿ˜€ Thanks, Kim!

  8. GiGi Gottshall says:

    5 stars
    Easy savory soup recipe. Most ingredients are in your kitchen already. Took hardly any prep and great on time also.
    Delicious.
    I will be making this again.

    1. Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says:

      Wonderful to hear, GiGi!

  9. Stephanie says:

    Is it possible to just use milk instead of heavy whipping cream? Or maybe evaporated milk?

    1. Natasha says:

      Hi! I don’t recommend milk. It’s watery, prone to curdling with the tomatoes, and really doesn’t add much to the soup. I suppose you could try evaporated milk, but I definitely suggest using heavy cream if possible.