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.
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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.
Start to finish, prep and cook time was 30 mins- totally awesome! Easy recipe that tastes like you spent much longer to make !! Very good and like another review, I stuck to recipe without tweaking it! Highly recommend and I’ve already added this to my favorite soup recipes! Thank you ☺️
Nice work Andrea!!! It’s one of my favorite soups, so I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying it. Thanks so much for the great comments!💖
Incredible! Now a family favorite! My husband and 2 kids under 10 couldn’t get enough! Mom.. make that soup stuff again!
Awwwwww, I am sooo thrilled to hear that Jami! You’ll have the recipe memorized before you know it! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it! -Stephanie 🙂
I totally love this recipe! I did add 2/3 of a can of cream of chicken soup, did half-and-half with Italian sausage and the hot sausage and omitted the to (kale) ,accommodate . I am wondering if this recipe will freeze as well? I have a baby shower to go to where you drop off freezer meals today! Let me know ASAP..
thank you!
Hi Kari! I always outlined storage information in my recipes so that you don’t have to wait for my response on that! This soup does freeze well, but the tortellini will continue to absorb broth during storage, so I recommend freezing the soup without the tortellini and boiling fresh tortellini to add directly to serving bowls.
Perfection!! You had me at tortellini and sausage🤩 Normally I have to tweak recipes. Not this one. I give this a full 🔟.
Yayyyy! I’m so happy you liked it Shandra! Thanks so much for the review!💖
Absolutely delicious! This will be a regular dinner for my husband and I.
That makes me so happy Rachel! I always make sure I have plenty in my freezer ready to go! Thanks so much for the review!💖
I have made this recipe three times to rave reviews. I have doubled + each time to accommodate a crowd. It is absolutely fabulous as written. The last time I made it, I added a hunk of Pecorino Romano rind as suggested. Sooo good!!!!
I love that you added the Romano rind Stephanie! It really does enhance it that much more. Thanks for the great comments and for taking the time to leave a review!💖
Absolutely a huge hit in this home with very finicky eaters! I used 1/2 block of cream cheese, light cream, 1/2lb each of mild and hot sausage and it was so delicious.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it Melissa, excellent news! THANK YOU so much for taking the time to leave a review!! -Stephanie 🙂
Delicious! I used spinach instead of kale.
Nice work Joy! Spinach is a great sub, that’s how my husband prefers it. I’m so happy you enjoyed this one, thanks so much for the review!💖
Girl I had to come back to tell you that this recipe has me obsessed! I truly did not believe that I wouldn’t need to add salt but the spice proportions were PERFECT. Literally did not need to mess with this recipe AT ALL. I want to bathe in this soup. I finished the leftovers yesterday and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. Thank you for your service
These comments make me so happy Samantha!!!💕 Lol, I’ve also thought about bathing in soup. Seriously 😆! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
I made your lovely recipe today for a soup contest at work and it took first place!!! I did use spinach instead of kale. There is no prize that I do get to enjoy bragging rights for the year. Thank you for the great recipe
That’s so cool Michelle! A soup contest at work!!?? That’s definitely a place I should be working at, so fun!!! Congratulations!❤️❤️❤️