Salt & Lavender logo
menu icon
search icon
×

Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup

Published: / Updated: / 205 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my affiliate disclosure for more details.

Jump to Recipe

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 - this variety of sausage adds protein to the soup and has a fantastic blend of herbs and spices
  • Onion, celery, and garlic - these staples are the building blocks to any good soup
  • Flour - to thicken the broth
  • Garlic - one of my favorite ingredients to take soups to the next level!
  • Chicken broth - gives the soup additional cozy flavor versus just using water
  • 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, or you can sub with fresh herbs of your choice
  • 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! It makes it an out-of-this-world delicious soup
  • 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.
  • A cooking spoon made of melamine ensures you won't scratch your pots and pans while stirring.
  • 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.

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.

More easy soup recipes

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! Questions? Ask me in the comments below! 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

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!
4.99 from 63 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 564 kcal

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 fluid 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 (if using whole sausages, take the sausage meat out of its casings and crumble it into the 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 minutes or so, then add the flour and garlic and cook for a minute, stirring constantly. 
  • Add the chicken broth slowly 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. Here in Canada I buy a 500g 5-pack of Johnsonville mild Italian sausages for this soup. Ground sausage meat is fine too!
  • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
     

Nutrition

Calories: 564kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 20gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 126mgSodium: 1511mgPotassium: 709mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1740IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 164mgIron: 4mg
Keyword sausage tortellini soup
Author Natasha Bull

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

«
»

Loved this recipe? Share it:

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Julie Sweet says

    5 stars
    Followed recipe exactly. So good! My husband said better than Olive Garden.

    I did use dry cheese tortellini because store did not have fresh - just added 5 extra minutes to cook time and it turned out great.

    Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply

  2. Lesa says

    5 stars
    Loved this soup so much. Couldn’t judge amount to make so had leftovers. Still eating it for breakfast. Still delicious but wondering about thinning it - water, more cream or maybe more chicken broth?

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Yes, I would add some more chicken broth or cream. Perhaps next time you make it, add the tortellini when reheating the leftovers so it doesn't soak up the broth. Thanks for your 5-star review!

      Reply

  4. Melissa K says

    5 stars
    We have made this several times now.
    Whenever we make this for guests, someone always asks for the recipe.
    Easy to make and everyone loves it.

    Reply

  5. Y.L. says

    5 stars
    I made this soup for lunch for friends and it got rave reviews!! So easy to make and very tasty!! Thank you for a great recipe!

    Reply

  6. Rachael Grant says

    5 stars
    This tortellini soup recipe is absolutely divine! I've made it twice now and it is very satisfying. I wouldn't change anything!

    Reply

  8. Patty H. says

    5 stars
    I tried making for dinner tonight. Is very good love it. Only added one small thing little basil. . It’s now added to my line up of meals. Thanks😊

    Reply

  10. Kari I says

    5 stars
    Delicious! I didn’t have spinach so i skipped it but amazing flavor and my whole family liked it, even my 22month old! Thank you! Will definitely make again!

    Reply

  11. Laura Walters says

    5 stars
    This soup is definitely my families new all time favourite soup.
    I did leave out the tomato's (as my husband doesn't like them), but I added red pepper and LOTS of finely chopped spinach. Have made this with tortellini and just regular pasta. Both are great. Also top with Parmesan cheese! Thank you for this absolutely delicious recipe! *TODDLER APPROVED*

    Reply

  13. Matt Clark says

    5 stars
    Great recipe, have made this several times. This last time I threw in some cream cheese along with all the other ingredients, turned out great as well. Thanks for sharing

    Reply

  14. Dawn Hoffman says

    Hi,
    If I am making this a couple of days ahead, should I cook the tortellini and spinach with the soup? Or should I cook them right before serving the soup?

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I'd just add them directly to the soup when reheating (no need to pre-cook the tortellini as it'll cook in the soup).

      Reply

  15. Cathy Perger says

    5 stars
    This was soooo delicious! I did change two things. I don’t like really hot food so I used mild Italian sausage. Also, I had two cans of fire roasted chopped tomatoes and I think it add a
    zing to the soup. I will make this one of my favorites!

    Reply

  16. Cassi Siferd says

    Such an amazing soup and so easy to make! I’ve tried making tortellini soup before and it did not turn out this yummy! I will definitely be making this again!! I only had beef broth on hand but it still turned out great!! ☺️

    Reply

  18. Corina says

    I made this soup today but I didn’t have sausage so I just used ground beef and taste so delicious I can’t imagine with sausage oh my🥰thank you so much for this ♥️

    Reply

  19. Candice Williams says

    This soup is everything!!! A coworker shared it with me and I’m glad she did!! I think next time I’ll only use 1 can of tomato’s.
    I added just a little more cream and a little more garlic and seasoning.
    It’s cold here in Northern California and with some French bread and Sunday football..,
    Ohhh it’s on!!!!!’n

    Reply

  20. Tess says

    5 stars
    Wow! I followed the recipe exactly and it is delicious. My husband said it’s the best soup he has ever had. Thank you!

    Reply

  22. Courtney says

    5 stars
    This soup is life changing. I followed the recipe to a 'T' and I am glad I did. It was perfectly rich and cheesy. I was tempted to top the bowls with cheese, but it was unnecessary. This is definitely making it into our regular rotation. Brava!!

    Reply

  24. Stephanie McLeish says

    4 stars
    Followed the recipe to a T.. WAY too many tomatoes (I would use a 14.5 oz can- 28 oz can turned my soup pink!) and I didn’t like the sausage I got from Whole Foods (it was VERY lean and a little too sweet for my taste) but with a few tweaks I’d make this recipe again.

    Reply

  26. Monique R Haiden says

    Delicious soup, thanks for the inspiration! I always add a few more ingredients to make it my own. I added 4 oz of cream cheese to make it a little more cheesey, a frozen mirepoix mix (onions, carrots, celery) instead of fresh. I also used a 10 0z. bag of chopped frozen spinach, since I didn't have any fresh at the time. I steamed and drained the spinach, before adding it to the soup. I also added more tortellini, seasoning, and only one can of diced tomatoes. Top with cheese and enjoy, it's sooo very good!!! Just know this recipe is fabulous and very forgiving too, thanks Natasha.

    Reply

  27. Melissa says

    I know I will have leftovers so what’s the best way for me to go about the tortellini, cream and spinach parts? I don’t want the tortellini taking on all the broth which has happened to me with other tortellini soup recipes

    Reply

    • Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says

      The cream is fine, but you could add the spinach and tortellini to individual portions when reheating. Enjoy! 🙂

      Reply

    • Cindy says

      Made this tonight. Forgot to add the spinach, but it didn't really need it. Added a parmesan rind while the mixture came to a boil and then let it simmer. Came out great! Will save this recipe and make again!

      Reply

  28. Susan says

    5 stars
    I made this soup tonight along with homemade dinner rolls. Didn't have any celery or spinach but that didn't matter. I used a smaller can of diced tomatoes and less cream. Half the amount of tortellini too, I didn't want the tortellini to puff up in the left overs. My husband said the soup was heaven. Thanks for another great recipe.

    Reply

  30. Nicki says

    5 stars
    “She’s a soup genius!” A text from my best friend and I after I told her I made this tonight. I couldn’t agree more. This was a huge hit! It has tons of flavor and is super easy to make! I’m obsessed with every recipe I’ve made from this blog and they all become instant hits with my family! Thank you for making me look like a good cook!

    Reply

  33. Maxine says

    5 stars
    Fantastic recipe! Added red pepper flakes at the end for a little kick. Absolutely delicious. Will definitely make again.

    Reply

  34. Diane says

    Delicious, will be following you for more great recipes. I used whole milk and it tasted great. I liked how quickly it came together. Thank you

    Reply

  35. Samantha says

    5 stars
    This warm & creamy soup is an absolute hit for our whole family. This is our 2nd time making it and the kids, ages 3 & 5 devoured it. They had two large bowls each. We did however have to swap out the celery for diced carrots because our kids refuse to eat celery. The whole family enjoys this delicious soup. Thanks for this recipe. It’ll definitely be in rotation during the colder months here in Canada.

    Reply

  37. Stephanie says

    5 stars
    I forgot to add the flour but it ended up being plenty thick without it. I used crushed tomatoes so I’m sure that helped! Served it with fresh grated Parmesan and oh, my goodness!! It was AMAZING!!!! I’ll definitely be making this again!!!!!

    Reply

  41. Nathalie Malouin says

    5 stars
    You have some of the recipes out there. If you ever publish a cookbook, I’m buying a copy 😁😁😁. Thank you for sharing with us.

    Reply

  43. Sharon Cushman says

    5 stars
    Made this for dinner tonight...it was delicious!..... I didn't have an onion, but it was still very tasty! I have been waiting for cooler weather here in the Pacific Northwest to make it...thought I d make it September, but it was too warm!....it will go on the menu for sure!

    Reply