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.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Note that the tortellini will continue to absorb broth during storage. You may choose to boil tortellini separately and add them directly to serving bowls.
- This soup does freeze well but I recommend boiling tortellini separately so that it doesn’t absorb too much broth or get overly soft.
- 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.
- Food Storage Containers– These are what I use, they fit exactly 1 cup and are leak proof, microwave safe, stackable, and BPA free.
- 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.
Try These Next
- Garlic Parmesan Pasta
- Salisbury Steak
- Creamy Spinach Pasta
- Tuscan Chicken
- Smothered Chicken
- Mushroom Chicken
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Tried This Recipe?
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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 cup heavy cream
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups kale
- 2 cups refrigerated tortellini, just under 10 oz.
- Salt/ to taste
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
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 1 tsp dried basil, ½ tsp oregano, 1 pinch of cayenne, 1 tsp hot sauce, ½ tsp mustard powder, ¼ tsp pepper. Stir to combine.
- Add the chicken broth and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pot. Add the 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 top with a pinch of red pepper flakes. Serve with Garlic Bread with Cheese.
Notes
Pro Tip: 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.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Note that the tortellini will continue to absorb broth during storage. You may choose to boil tortellini separately and add them directly to serving bowls.
- This soup does freeze well but I recommend boiling tortellini separately so that it doesn't absorb too much broth or get overly soft.
I just made this today and followed the instructions as suggested … and WOW! Adding this to my favourite list of The Cozy Cook recipes!
I am so happy that you enjoyed this recipe Kelly!!! You’re the best, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!! ❤️❤️❤️
Delicious!!! Only thing I did different was added some shredded carrots and mushrooms when cooking the sausage. We don’t like kale so I used Spinach. Will definitely be making this again!
My husband likes using spinach instead too! I’m so happy this was a hit Flara, thanks so much for the great comments!💗
So good! Will definitely add it to the rotation.
Thanks so much Jen, I’m so happy this will be added to the rotation! Thanks so much for the great review!💖
First time ever leaving a comment on a recipe! This was amazing and still is the 4th time we have made it. Thank you!
I’m so happy this got you to leave your first comment Heather! Thanks so much for the great review!😃
We love soup, and this one is at the top of the list!! The recipe is easy to follow, the flavors are delicious, and the mustard powder is a game changer!!! Thanks for sharing.
I’m so happy you enjoyed the Sausage Tortellini soup Jeanne! I love that you can appreciate the mustard powder!😃
I made it tonight and it’s a hit with my husband and I! So yummy, easy and healthy! Love it!
I’m so happy this was a hit with the husband Pamela, nice work!🙌 Thanks so much for the great comments and for taking the time to leave a review!
Can this be made then placed in a crockpot to keep warm for an event.
Would the tortellini get mushy?
Unfortunately I don’t think the tortellini wouldn’t hold up well.
I just made this soup tonight and it was probably one if the best soups I’ve ever had. Everyone in the house loved it. Definitely a keeper recipe for my meal rotation. This is my first review on a platform like this but people need to know. Haha!
I’m so happy I got you to write your first review Vicki! Thanks so much for the great review, much appreciated!❤️
I made the sausage,kale and tortellini soup. I loved it , so did everyone that tried it. It was very flavorful. I was hesitant about adding the hot sauce , but after reading the cook notes, I did it , I left out the Cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes also, but it still was WONDERFUL !!!!
Yayyy! I’m so happy you decided to go with the hot sauce as a flavor enhancer Karen, nice work! Thanks so much for the great comments!❤️