Sausage Tortellini Soup
This creamy sausage tortellini soup is a 30 minute meal that’s easy to make with sausage, kale, simple seasonings, broth, and cream!
Be sure to serve this with a side of Garlic Bread with Cheese or Biscuits!
Sausage Tortellini Soup
Wait until you taste this soup. This is one you will undoubtedly add to your favorite list of soup recipes, especially because it’s a 30-minute meal that’s got vegetables, protein, and pasta all in one bowl!
You may scratch your head when you see that I’ve got hot sauce and mustard powder on the ingredients list, but trust me. They enhance the other flavors in the recipe and add a very subtle touch that creates a great base for this soup. Once you try it, you’ll see what I mean!
Check out my PRO tips below on how to add even more flavor to this soup, and what you can use if you don’t have kale on hand!
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Cook the sausage, onions, and garlic. Add flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add basil, oregano, hot sauce, mustard powder, and pepper. Stir to combine.
Add chicken broth and heavy cream. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer.
Add kale and tortellini. Cook 3-5 minutes. Taste and add salt if desired. Transfer to serving bowls and add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Pro Tips
- For even more flavor, add the rind from a block of Parmesan or Romano cheese when you add the broth and let it simmer and flavor the soup. If any remains at the end of cooking, it can be discarded. Salt will likely not need to be added if you do this.
- 2-3 cups of Spinach can be used instead of kale, stir it in once the tortellini is cooked and let it wilt, about 30 seconds. If you use frozen spinach, let it thaw and pat it dry prior to adding it.
- I use RANA refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini for this recipe. I also use Texas Pete hot sauce or Frank’s Hot Sauce.
- This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 51!
- For a similar recipe with a twist, try my Sausage Gnocchi Soup!
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for 3+ months.
- Note that the tortellini will continue to absorb broth during storage. I recommend boiling the tortellini separately and add it directly to serving bowls if you plan on having leftovers.
- Be sure to try my chicken tortellini soup recipe next!
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- 4 quart Soup Pot: The perfect size for this recipe.
- Spice Rack– This is the one I have, it’s a snap to measure out your seasonings quickly and easily. (Big time saver.)
- Kitchen Scale: In case you need to weigh the sausage. (I use this all the time.)
- Measuring Spoons– To measure out the seasonings.
- Pinch Bowls– I measure out my seasonings ahead of time and add them to these small bowls so they’re ready to go when it’s time to add them.
- 16 oz. storage containers – I use these to store/freeze my soups. They have 8 oz. sizes as well. They’re stackable, leak proof, and dishwasher/microwave safe.
Try These Next
- Clam Chowder
- Tomato Basil Pasta
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Pasta Primavera
- Meatball Soup
- Marry Me Chicken Pasta
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Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sausage Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage, hot or mild
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 Tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 pinch cayenne, optional
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups kale, chopped
- 2 cups tortellini, just under 10 oz. (refrigerated or frozen)
- Salt/ to taste
Instructions
- Note: The mustard powder and hot sauce are so subtle in this soup but help enhance the other flavors, so although you may be hesitant to add them, I highly recommend it!
- Remove the casings from the sausage if you purchased links. Cook and crumble the sausage and diced onions over medium-high heat until the onions are softened and the sausage is cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Drain grease. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
- Add basil, oregano, cayenne, hot sauce, mustard powder, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
- Add the chicken broth and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pot. Slowly stir in the heavy cream. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer.
- Add the kale and tortellini and simmer for 3-5 minutes. (If your tortellini needs longer cooking time, add the tortellini first, then the kale during the last 5 minutes.)
- Taste the soup and add salt if desired. Start with ¼ tsp and add more after that if needed.
- Transfer to serving bowls and serve! (This is great with Garlic Bread with Cheese!)
Notes
- I use RANA refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini for this recipe. I also use Texas Pete hot sauce or Frank's Hot Sauce.
- For even more flavor, add the rind from a block of Parmesan or Romano cheese when you add the broth and let it simmer and flavor the soup. If any remains at the end of cooking, it can be discarded. Salt will likely not need to be added if you do this.
- 2-3 cups of Spinach can be used instead of kale, stir it in once the tortellini is cooked and let it wilt, about 30 seconds.
- This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 51!
- For a similar recipe with a twist, try my Sausage Gnocchi Soup!
Crock Pot Method:
- Brown the sausage/onions on the stove top and add the flour as outlined in steps 2 + 3.
- Transfer everything except for the cream, tortellini, and spinach to the slow cooker.
- Cook it on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-7.
- Stir in the kale toward the end and let that heat up for 10-15 minutes.
- Turn heat off. Temper the cream in the microwave for 45 seconds and stir it in slowly>
- Add cooked tortellini to serving bowls and ladle soup on top!
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for 3+ months.
- Note that the tortellini will continue to absorb broth during storage. I recommend boiling the tortellini separately and add it directly to serving bowls if you plan on having leftovers.
- Be sure to try my chicken tortellini soup recipe next!
Nutritional information an estimate and is per serving. Each serving is 1 cup, and this recipe makes approximately 10 cups.
Made this recipe tonight for dinner. Absolutely delicious!! 🔥
Awesome!! I’m so happy that you loved it my friend!!! Thank you so much for the review!
I love this soup! I’m making it today. But I see I don’t have heavy cream. Can I use half and half in its place?
I’m sooo glad that you love it! Using half and half is absolutely fine!! Enjoy!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was fantastic!! Absolutely perfect balance of flavors and it was quick and easy to boot! Thanks so much for a great recipe, I’ll have to peruse the rest of your library 😊
Thanks so much Samantha I’m so happy you liked the soup!! I can’t wait for you to try some other recipes, enjoy!!!🩷
I have made this several times as my kids are always asking me to make it! Everyone in my house loves this soup!
That makes me soooo happy Marcy!! There’s nothing better than a recipe the whole family loves, which can definitely be rare!! Thanks so much for the great comments!!🩷
Hi! Just realized I only have dry tortellini pasta, can that still be used and just cook it longer?
Hi Lexy! Yes, absolutely! You might also want to consider boiling it in salted pasta water on the side and then adding it to the soup at the end so that it doesn’t absorb as much of the broth, especially if you anticipate leftovers. ❤️
I rarely comment on anything but I had to for this recipe. It is so full of flavor and completely delicious. It’s comforting and perfect with some crusty bread. I make a double batch and eat it for lunch all week. It’s also great to take to someone who just had surgery.
Hiiii Heather! I am sooo happy that you took the time to comment and leave this wonderful review, I appreciate it so much and I’m so happy to hear that you love it as much as I do, I could have it every day! 🙂