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Sausage tortellini soup in bowl
TahiraJaved

Sausage Tortellini Soup

This Sausage Tortellini Soup browns Italian sausage before building a rich, creamy tomato broth studded with cheese tortellini and wilted spinach, all in one pot. Timing the tortellini carefully and keeping the heat low once the cream goes in are the two small details that keep this soup silky and cohesive instead of broken or mushy. Ready in about 40 minutes, it tastes far more involved than the actual effort required.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings: 6 People
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American, Italian
Calories: 380
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Soup:
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb Italian sausage chicken or turkey, casings removed
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 can 14.5oz diced tomatoes
  • 5 cups chicken broth
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes optional
  • 9 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 cups fresh spinach
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
For Serving:
  • Grated parmesan cheese
  • Fresh basil or parsley chopped

Equipment

  • 1 Large pot or Dutch oven browns the sausage and simmers the soup in one vessel
  • 1 Wooden spoon breaks apart the sausage and stirs the soup as it cooks
  • 1 Ladle for serving the finished soup into bowls

Method
 

  1. Brown sausage, breaking it into small crumbles.
  2. Sauté onion, then add garlic.
  3. Add diced tomatoes, broth, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes; simmer.
  4. Stir in tortellini and cook 3 to 5 minutes until tender and floating.
  5. Reduce heat to low, stir in cream and spinach, simmer until wilted.
  6. Season to taste and serve topped with parmesan and basil.
    7. Keep the heat low once the cream goes in; a hard simmer or boil at this stage is the main reason cream based soups curdle.

Notes

  • Watch the tortellini closely; it goes from tender to mushy quickly once overcooked.
  • Break the sausage into small, even pieces while browning for better flavor distribution.
  • Add the spinach at the very end so it stays bright instead of overcooked.
  • A wide, heavy bottomed pot helps the sausage brown evenly without scorching.
STORAGE: Refrigerate up to 3 days; freeze only the broth and sausage base, before adding cream and tortellini, for up to 3 months.
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