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Sausage And Tortellini Soup

Sausage and tortellini soup with a rich tomato-cream broth and tender cheese tortellini. The Italian sausage is browned, then simmered with tomatoes and chicken broth before finishing with heavy cream and spinach.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 610
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Italian sausage
  • 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed Drain any excess fat after browning for a cleaner broth.
Cheese tortellini
  • 20 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini Cook until just tender so it doesn’t turn mushy.
Baby spinach
  • 3 cups baby spinach Stir in at the end so it wilts but stays bright green.
Onion
  • 1 onion, diced
Garlic
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
Diced tomatoes
  • 14 oz diced tomatoes
Chicken broth
  • 4 cups chicken broth
Heavy cream
  • 1 cup heavy cream Stir in off a hard boil if you want a smoother texture.
Tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Red pepper flakes
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
Olive oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Parmesan and fresh basil
  • Parmesan and fresh basil for serving Use parmesan shavings and basil leaves to finish each bowl.
Salt and pepper
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the sausage
  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, then add Italian sausage and cook until browned. Drain fat after browning to keep the broth from getting greasy.
Sauté aromatics
  1. Add diced onion to the same pot and sauté for 4 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and tomato paste, then cook for 2 minutes.
Simmer the soup base
  1. Add diced tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes, then bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a steady simmer as needed to maintain bubbling.
Cook tortellini
  1. Add refrigerated cheese tortellini and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until just tender. The tortellini should be soft in the center without breaking apart.
Finish with cream and spinach
  1. Stir in heavy cream and baby spinach, then cook for 2-3 minutes until the spinach wilts. Keep the soup at a gentle simmer so the cream stays smooth.
  2. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve immediately. Top each bowl with parmesan and fresh basil.

Notes

For the best texture, cook the tortellini only until just tender and avoid boiling hard after adding it. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; rewarm gently, adding a splash of broth or cream if thickened. Freezing is not ideal because tortellini can soften further, but you can freeze the sausage-tomato broth separately and add fresh tortellini later. If you need a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream.