November 3, 2020 · Updated August 25, 2023

Sausage and Tortellini Soup (with video!)

5 from 39 votes

This post may contain affiliate links. This blog generates income via ads.

This Sausage and Tortellini Soup has everything comfort food should! It’s warm, it’s creamy, it’s secretly loaded with vegetables. Plus, there’s cheese! This is a hearty and filling soup recipe that will warm you from the inside out!

A black bowl is filled with sausage and tortellini soup. It is garnished with parmesan and parsley. The bowl sits in front of another bowl of soup on a gray speckled backdrop.

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

All the ingredients for sausage and tortellini soup are arranged in various glass bowls and measuring cups on a gray speckled backdrop.

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!

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!

An overhead shot of a bowl full of sausage and tortellini soup that is garnished with parmesan and parsley. There is a checked napkin to the side of the bowl.

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!

A bowl full of sausage and tortellini soup with two pieces of sourdough bread sticking up out of the back of it. There is a checked napkin to the side of the bowl and another bowl in the background.

Optional Serving Ideas

Many readers have suggested adding spinach or kale to the soup and that has my seal of approval! Throw a few handfuls of greens in when you stir in the cream before serving.

In the video below you'll see I cooked the tortellini separately and ladled the hot soup over for serving. This is a great option if you plan to enjoy the soup for a few days at it helps keep the tortellini from becoming soggy!

Watch the recipe video!

More Soup Recipes You May Love

Lasagna Soup (also if you're looking for major comfort, check out my momma's lasagna recipe!)
Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Creamy Acorn Squash Soup
Slow Cooker Ham and Potato Soup
Creamy Turkey Soup with Rice

Print Recipe

5 from 39 votes