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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!
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!
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!
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
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.
Video
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 ready 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.
- As seen in the video: Alternatively, tortellini can be cooked to al dente in a separate pot and hot soup can be ladled over top when serving. This helps to avoid the tortellini becoming to soggy!
Deni says
I’ve made this soup. Although I used ground bison and made in a ninja foodie. My family loved it!!!
Amanda Gajdosik says
Hi Deni!
LOVE the use of ground bison! So glad your family loved it 🙂
Thanks,
Amanda
Emily says
Love this soup! Super easy and quick to make and light enough for warmer fall days. Only thing I changed was adding more garlic, Italian seasoning, oregano, and parsley flakes.
Leti says
Loved the recipe ! So easy and delicious !!
Jody says
This soup is very tasty. It was a winner! I made some minor changes-used 28 oz can crushed tomatoes, added 1/2 tsp basil and 1/2 tsp oregano. Also added 1/2 tsp baking soda to cut the acid. We all loved it. Thanks!
Amanda Gajdosik says
Hi Jody,
I'm so glad you loved this recipe and made it your own. My fellow food-blogging friend Sarah (Sustainable Cooks) taught me the baking soda trick last year and it's so helpful!
Happy cooking 🙂
Amanda
Jen says
I did not have carrots at home, but added approx two cups of spinach and I sliced up a container of mushrooms. I think the soup recipe is great!
Amanda Gajdosik says
Love that you made this soup your own, Jen! 🙂
Julia says
I made this soup and it was great!
I did extra spices, salt, rosemary, garlic, onion powder, oregano, cayenne for some heat, Italian, and pepper and that was super good!
Are use sour cream instead of heavy cream to lighten up on the calories and that was great too. I personally left the pasta in a separate container in order for it to last longer because the instructions said that it will only last two days with the pasta in the soup. I still think it taste fine, but I guess the pasta might not have as much of a flavor. But I’m fine with that.
Anyway, super good soup! Great recipe. Would highly recommend
David says
If you cook pasta separately, don't forget to salt the water to add flavor to the pasta itself since it won't be cooking in the seasoned broth of the soup.
Amanda Gajdosik says
Yes, David! Great note.
Paula C says
This was easy, fast and DELICIOUS!! Thank you very much for sharing your recipe. We will make this many more times
Amanda Gajdosik says
You're so welcome, Paula! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂 Thanks for rating and reviewing!
Kate says
Tastes yummy! I wasn’t sure about the carrots so I puréed the soup before I added the sausage, tortellini & cream. So good!
Amanda Gajdosik says
Hi Kate,
I'd never even thought to puree the soup ingredients before - but I can see how it would work well. Especially if you have picky eaters that maybe don't like seeing the veggies in their meals 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for rating and reviewing!
Amanda
Heather Galasso says
This is very good, however early in the recipe it calls for salt. When you get down to the ingredients and directions there is no mention of salt. I didn't add salt but wish I had. Where should I add and how much?
Amanda Gajdosik says
Hi Heather,
Wow oh wow thank you for pointing this out! It's so engrained in me to season as I go while cooking that I didn't notice this was missing from the recipe card. As a good rule of thumb: whenever you're cooking you want to season in layers, adding a sprinkle of salt with each addition of ingredients, starting when you sweat the veggies. It's also super important to taste as you go - whether you're making soup or anything else!
Of course, you can always add salt after the dish is finished, but you are so right! Updating the recipe card now! 🙂
Thanks,
Amanda
Allison H says
This looks delicious! Ideally, I need a crock-pot soup for time-saving reasons, but I'm wondering if this would adapt. Do you think I could make this as directed (using refrigerated tortellini) and then keep warm in a crock pot for an hour or two, or would the tortellini absorb too much liquid by the time we got around to eating it? Thanks for taking the time to create such great kitchen content!
Amanda Gajdosik says
Hi Allison,
I think you can make the soup base as directed, then transfer to a crockpot (you can't really brown sausage in most crockpots, so keep that in mind!). Then, prepare the tortellini separately (just boil in salted water until al dente, drain, and lightly rinse). Keep the soup warm in your crockpot for however long you need, either stirring in the cooked tortellini 10 - 15 minutes before serving or ladling the hot soup over the separately cooked tortellini. This should avoid them becoming soggy!
Hope this helped 🙂
Thanks,
Amanda
Maya says
Flavorful but not enough liquid. Tortellini expands, so 16 ounces was too much. The next time I make it, I will use half the tortellini stated in the recipe.
Amanda Gajdosik says
Hi Maya,
Yes the tortellini do soak up a lot of the liquid, and I give alternatives in the post and video to counteract that. I, personally, like a thick soup so when the liquid gets soaked up, I don't mind. I'd suggest maybe serving and storing separately, in lieu of using less, otherwise you may feel the soup isn't filling enough or doesn't stretch as far. Just my two cents.
Hope this can help 🙂
Amanda
Kristy says
I have come back to this recipe more than a handful of times & everyone that I’ve shared this recipe with is in LOVE! I add celery & add some Italian seasoning, but just an overall delicious recipe!
Amanda Gajdosik says
Hi Kristy,
So thrilled you love this soup! And I love that you make it your own! I've added celery a few times too, and it's never a bad choice. Other readers have suggested spinach or kale and that's also great! It's just such a great, comforting base soup recipe you can build off of 🙂
Happy soup season,
Amanda
Diannah says
This was amazing! My whole family enjoyed this when we had out of town guests. My granddaughter asked for more! 😳 even the other grands finished a huge bowl. I did substitute cream cheese for the cream. Thanks for this recipe.
Amanda Gajdosik says
So happy to hear the whole family enjoyed this, Diannah! Thanks for rating and reviewing! 🙂
Jenna says
This was delicious! I subbed out the carrots for spinach and added red pepper flakes. Will definitely add this to my regular fall/winter dinner list! Thank you.
Amanda Gajdosik says
So happy to hear you enjoyed the soup, Jenna!
Julie says
Did it tonight, it was super good!! Replaced the spicy italian sausage with mild one to suit the rest of the family but added chili flakes in mine! Will do this again for sure! Thanks
Amanda Gajdosik says
Hi Julie,
Love that you made the recipe your own and enjoyed it! Thanks for rating and reviewing!
Amanda
Mary says
This was pretty easy and delicious. I added more fresh garlic, basil and spinach. Sprinkled with red pepper. I will make again. My husband liked it! Enough leftovers for a few more meals.
Amanda Gajdosik says
Love to hear this, Mary! Thanks for rating and reviewing!
Karen says
Loved the soup but plan to tweak next time. Tossed in a few tbsp of cream cheese for more flavor, along with the Parmesan. Did not like the carrots, and felt they didn’t add anything to the recipe. Might add kale or spinach next time and maybe some red pepper flakes.
Will definitely make again!
Amanda Gajdosik says
Hi Karen! So fun that you're making it your own! And I've heard of many people adding spinach or kale to it with great success! I bet the cream cheese made it ultra creamy! Thanks for reviewing 🙂
Maya says
Thank you for pointing out those notes. What brand of tortellini do you use? I had a 17.5 ounces package and used less than that. Please clarify the 16 ounces as that's where I could have gone wrong.
Amanda Gajdosik says
I use two packages of 8 ounce tortellini from Aldi a lot of the time, or I'll eyeball from a larger 20 ounce family-pack also from Aldi or Essential Everyday from the grocery store. I've also found that using refrigerated tortellini works better than frozen or dried, but those also work. The frozen or dried tortellini will soak up more liquid because they have less moisture in them to begin with. Does that make sense? Again, I think storing your pasta separately from the rest of the soup and then pouring the soup over the tortellini when serving might be your best route to go to avoid not having enough liquid to your liking! 🙂
Sera says
Does the recipe need the cream?
Amanda Gajdosik says
Hi Sera,
The soup (imo) is made much better by the addition of cream. It adds a richness and a velvety luxurious quality! If you're dairy-free you could certainly enjoy the soup without it, and just have a nice broth-based soup (though please note that tortellini also contains dairy!).
Hope this helps 🙂
Amanda
Meredith says
This soup is beautiful! Comes together quickly and easily, tastes great, and idk why I didn’t trust the “serves 12” in the directions, but it makes plenty for leftovers—that I’m honestly thrilled to have!
(This comment was left by a friend of the writer of midwestniceblog.com)
Pat says
I forgot the cream but was still delicious! Lower calorie too. Will definitely make again
Amanda Gajdosik says
The cream is really just an extra cherry on top, so I totally agree that it's still delish without it! So glad you enjoyed it, Pat! 🙂
Donna says
Delicious soup. I added parsley, basil and red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt. Really tasty!
LJS says
This was so tasty. Made it last week and we loved it so much. I got all the ingredients to make it again this week! I used Turkey sausage instead and 1/2&1/2 instead of heavy cream to cut out a few calories.
Amanda Gajdosik says
Those sound like great swaps! So glad they worked out for you! Happy soup season 🙂
Beck Organ says
I'm planning on making this soup this weekend...curious to see how the half n half turned out...? I thought recipe called for half in half so that's what I bought only to look at the recipe later and see the heavy cream!!
Sherry says
So delicious! Is def in the rotation!
Evelyn says
I added spinach right before serving. We enjoyed it very much. Will make again.
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!
Renee says
Delicious! Will definitely be making often.
Janet Jenkins says
This soup far exceeded my expectations. So easy & absolutely delicious. My entire family loved it!
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!
Charmaine says
Oh my goodness this soup is amazing! Great for these fall days!
Thank you so much for this deliciousness❤️
Candice says
Delicious soup! All the kids loved it too. Going to be on our winter rotation for soups.
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! 🙂
Jennifer says
This soup was so easy and really good! Took 35 minutes from start to finish!
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 🙂
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
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 🙂
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! 🙂
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 🙂
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!
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
(This comment was left by a friend of the writer of midwestniceblog.com)
Amanda says
I am overjoyed to hear that Iheoma! Thanks for making it 🙂
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!
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