This Sausage and Tortellini Soup has everything comfort food should! It’s warm, it’s creamy, it’s secretly loaded with vegetables, and there’s cheese! This recipe makes a hearty and filling soup that will warm you from the inside out!
This sausage and tortellini soup has quickly become a new favorite in our house! It’s so easy to prepare, so loaded with flavor, and so incredibly filling. There’s a kick of spice from the hot Italian sausage, perfectly cooked cheese tortellini, and a splash of rich cream to hold it all together. Grab a big ol’ bowl!
Ingredients needed for this recipe:
- Ground Hot Italian Sausage (see the sausage section for notes on this!)
- Cheese Tortellini
- Carrots
- Onion
- Garlic
- Diced Tomatoes
- Chicken Stock
- Heavy Cream
- Salt
- Parmesan Cheese, to serve
How to make Sausage and Tortellini Soup
- Brown the sausage. Until nice and crispy. Remove it from the pot and set it into a paper towel lined bowl to drain.
- Cook the carrot, onion, and garlic. In the pan you just browned the sausage in. Add a splash of the chicken stock to help deglaze the pan. Cook everything just until beginning to soften.
- Add the tomatoes and the chicken stock. Then bring it all up to a boil.
- Add the tortellini. And return the cooked sausage to the pot. Boil the soup until the tortellini are cooked through and then remove from the heat.
- Pour in the cream. And stir in the silkiness.
- Serve topped with parmesan cheese. And some slices of sourdough bread. You’ll be glad you did!
Brown the sausage. Sauté the veggies and deglaze the pan. Add the tomatoes and the stock. Add the tortellini and cook. Stir in the cream. Serve with parmesan cheese!
I know I was!
Using Ground Sausage vs Linked Sausage
This recipe calls for hot Italian sausage, but can totally be made with mild or even sweet. I love using sweet Italian sausage in cooking, it’s even a must-have in my momma’s lasagna! Spice may not be for everyone, and that’s totally ok! Simply use whatever you prefer!
Also, if the store doesn’t have ground sausage you can substitute linked sausage. Simply slice it into coins and brown as you would if it were ground. Or! Slice along the casing, remove and discard the casing, and then crumble the links into the pan. Voila! Ground sausage!
What does "deglaze the pan" mean?
This sausage and tortellini soup recipe starts by browning sausage in the soup pot. This will not only cook the sausage but will leave a brown crust on the bottom of the pan. It's called "fond!" This is a mixture of tiny pieces of sausage, seasonings, and fat. That’s all flavor! It can’t go to waste! So, to be sure we get all those little bits of flavor into our soup (and to keep them from scorching on the bottom), we must deglaze the pan.
“Deglazing” is just a fancy term for adding a splash of liquid (in this case chicken stock) to the bottom of a pan that has that brown crust of fond on it. This liquid will help loosen all those brown bits to keep them from burning and to incorporate them into the dish. After adding the liquid, be sure to stir and scrape the pot to get everything up off the bottom and into the mixture. The liquid you added will then cook out and you’ll be left with all those morsels of flavor throughout your meal! It is divine!
As is this soup. Try for yourself to see!
Sausage and Tortellini Soup
Equipment
- Soup Pot
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground hot Italian sausage
- 3 carrots peeled and diced
- 1 large white onion diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 29 ounces diced tomatoes from two 14.5 ounce cans
- 16 ounces cheese tortellini
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, or heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, brown the ground sausage over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined bowl to drain and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the carrot and onion, stirring to coat. Add a splash of the chicken stock to help deglaze the pan. Cook the vegetables until they just begin to become tender, about three minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add the remaining stock and diced tomatoes. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil.
- Stir in the tortellini and cooked sausage, making sure everything is well combined. Cook until tortellini are tender, about five minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the heavy cream.
- Serve with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- Soup can be kept for up to two days before the tortellini totally fall apart.
- If wanting to make and freeze this soup: omit the tortellini and cream in the beginning. Cool the soup and freeze. When wanting to serve, thaw the soup, reheat and bring up to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Stir in the tortellini and cook until tender before removing from heat and stirring in cream.
Momma Femali says
So "souper" yummy and easy to make. My family loved it. We will be definitely adding it to the winter soup rotation.
Amanda says
I am so happy to hear that Angie! <3
Hilary Ann Leonard says
So so good, Amanda. Will definitely be making this again. Thank you!
Amanda says
I am so happy to hear that!
Iheoma Nkemere says
Loved this recipe, Amanda! Perfect for the cold weather, season while being incredibly filling. My roommate have been making our way through this soup for the past few days and it's gotten better with each serving
Amanda says
I am overjoyed to hear that Iheoma! Thanks for making it 🙂
Kayla J. says
Just made this tonight & it was so great! Hubby & toddler approved. We substituted for turkey sausage, but it was still delicious. Will definitely be making it again through the winter!
Amanda says
Ahhh! You have no idea how happy this makes me, Kayla! What a great idea to use turkey sausage!
Shannon says
This was delicious!!! The tortellini holds up so well in the soup and the sausage adds a whole level of flavor! We will definitely be making again!
Amanda says
This absolutely thrills me to hear, Shannon! Thanks for making the recipe 🙂
Jeff Kauffmann says
Absolutely delicious! We had the coldest temperature so far this fall. 59° this was perfect to kick off soup season!
Amanda says
Love to hear that Jeff! This is one of our favorite soup recipes to enjoy during the cold months too! 🙂
Kim says
Second Time I am making this soup. The first go around was a huge family hit. I love it when Amanda helps me cook dinner 🙂
Brittany C says
Finally got around to making this recipe! Not only easy to make but delicious!
Amanda says
This is what I LOVE to hear <3
Kayla says
Made this soup for dinner last night! Recipe was easy to follow and my husband (who doesn't like soup) admitted he liked it! 🙂
Amanda says
We're all about converting former soup haters with this amazing recipe! Thanks for making this, Kayla 🙂
Jennifer says
This soup was so easy and really good! Took 35 minutes from start to finish!
Sarah says
This is so so good. Super tasty and it came together quickly and easily. Highly recommend!!
Amanda Gajdosik says
LOVE hearing that Sarah! One of my favorite things about this soup is how quickly you can make it! Happy soup season! 🙂
Candice says
Delicious soup! All the kids loved it too. Going to be on our winter rotation for soups.
Charmaine says
Oh my goodness this soup is amazing! Great for these fall days!
Thank you so much for this deliciousness❤️
Torii says
I live by myself so making soups in the crisp fall here in Minnesota is one of my favorites! I cut the recipe in half because it’s just me eating it. I had everything on hand except spinach, so I grated the green of a zucchini and substituted for the spinach. Also added 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning and a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little zip. Smells very yum, and I’m really looking forward to enjoying a bowl for dinner. Quick and easy!
Janet Jenkins says
This soup far exceeded my expectations. So easy & absolutely delicious. My entire family loved it!
Renee says
Delicious! Will definitely be making often.
Sarah says
Love the soup!! Delicious! It absorbed a lot of the chicken stalk. What do I add to make it a little more liquidy (if that's a word) for leftovers?
Amanda Gajdosik says
Hi Sarah, Yes when the tortellini sits in the stock it absorbs a lot of it. When I'm reheating it I like to add a generous splash of stock to make the soup more liquid 🙂 You can also cook the tortellini separately and add them to each bowl when serving, if you'd like. But I'm lazy and don't usually like using two pots. Hope this helps!
Evelyn says
I added spinach right before serving. We enjoyed it very much. Will make again.