This 35-minute tortellini soup recipe is a healthy one-pot meal, swapping Italian chicken sausage for pork. It’s a fast, protein-packed weeknight dinner recipe.
Why You’ll Love My Sausage Tortellini Soup!
- I swap out heavier ingredients like pork sausage and heavy cream for chicken sausage and whole milk. Keeping the flavor but making it a heathier.
- It only takes 15 minutes of prep time and about 20 minutes to simmer on the stove.
- I eat soup all year, but I especially love this cozy recipe when the weather turns chilly.
Key Ingredients
- Italian chicken sausage: I use chicken sausage to make this soup a little lighter. According to the USDA chicken sausage has less than half the calories and only 5 grams of fat compared to pork sausage, which has 25 grams of fat and 296 calories per 100-gram (3 1/2 ounce) serving.
- Whole Milk combined with a little flour, thickens the soup without the weight of heavy cream.
- Broth: Use a low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth.
- Cheese tortellini: Fresh, frozen, or shelf-stable cheese tortellini will all work in this recipe.
How to Make Sausage Tortellini Soup
This soup recipe gives the illusion that it requires hours in the kitchen and multiple steps to make. However, combined in a single pot, it’s actually quite easy to prepare and is just the kind of recipe I need on a busy weekday!
- Sauté the vegetables. Set a heavy pot or Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the onions, carrots, and garlic, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the veggies are soft and the garlic is fragrant.
- Cook the sausage. Add the sausage to the pot, cooking for about 5 minutes or until it is browned and heated through. Once the meat is fully cooked, drain any excess fat.
- Add the broth, seasonings, tortellini, and more. In the same pot, stir in the tomato sauce, broth, and homemade Italian seasoning. Bring the ingredients to a boil, and add the pasta. Cook according to the package instructions, and stir in the kale leaves before turning off the heat.
- Thicken the soup and serve. Whisk the flour and milk together in a separate bowl. Then, slowly stir the mixture into the soup. Portion your sausage tortellini soup into serving bowls, and garnish with Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes to fit your taste preferences. Enjoy!
Swaps and Substitutions
Don’t worry if you don’t have all the ingredients needed to make this soup! There are so many easy ways to mix it up and use what you have on hand. I don’t think I’ve ever made the same soup twice! Some of my favorite variations include:
- Replace the kale: Spinach or Swiss chard both taste great and have ample health benefits, making either a great replacement for kale.
- Add mushrooms: For extra nutrients, slice up mushrooms into bite-sized pieces and sauteé them along with the other vegetables.
- Vegetarian option: To keep this recipe vegetarian, replace the sausage with a vegetarian meat alternative. Or, leave it out completely!
- Gluten-free: If you can’t consume gluten, look for gluten-free tortellini and swap the flour for cornstarch.
- Tortellini Soup Variations: Once you’ve tried this sausage tortellini soup recipe, try my Chicken Tortellini Soup recipe next. It’s like everything you lov about classic chicken noodle soup, but better!
Perfect Pairings
Made with fresh vegetables, protein, and carbs, this tortellini soup recipe is plenty filling on its own. However, if you’re feeding a crowd or just want to go all out for a complete dinner spread, you can never go wrong with a side dish or two.
- Fresh Bread: Rosemary Focaccia with Roasted Garlic, No-Knead Olive Bread or a classic French Baguette for dipping.
- Add a Salad: My Lemon Parmesan Lettuce Salad comes together in 5 minutes, stick with the theme and make my Big Easy Italian Salad or you can never go wrong with a Classic Caesar Salad.
A comforting soup, loaded with fresh veggies, hearty Italian chicken sausage and tortellini in a rich tomato broth. Ready in 35 minutes this is the perfect meal for those busy nights!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 pound Italian chicken sausage, mild or hot, casings removed
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 9 ounces cheese tortellini
- 3 cups packed fresh baby kale leaves or chopped kale, thick stems removed
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole milk at room temperature
- Grated Parmesan cheese, to taste (optional)
- Red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oil and saute the vegetables: Set a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the chopped onion, carrots, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 to 5 minutes or until the carrots have softened and the onions and garlic are fragrant.
- Cook the sausage: Add the Italian sausage and cook, breaking it up as you go, until the sausage is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Carefully, drain excess fat, especially if you used pork sausage.
- Add the liquids and seasonings: Add the tomato sauce, chicken broth, and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine. Raise the heat and allow the liquid to come to a boil.
- Add the pasta and finish the soup: Add the tortellini and cook according to package instructions (about 3 to 5 minutes), then stir in the kale leaves. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and milk, then slowly stir the mixture into the soup. Remove from heat.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into serving bowls and finish with grated Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes to your liking. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil and spices used in this recipe.
Make Ahead Tips
If you are not planning to serve this soup immediately but want to work ahead make the soup without adding the pasta. Then, when you’re ready to serve, reheat the soup, boil the pasta separately, and add it to the soup just before serving. How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep in mind the tortellini may become soggy as it will continue to absorb the liquid.
Make Ahead Tips
If you are not planning to serve this soup immediately but want to work ahead make the soup without adding the pasta. Then, when you’re ready to serve, reheat the soup, boil the pasta separately, and add it to the soup just before serving. How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep in mind the tortellini may become soggy as it will continue to absorb the liquid.
- To freeze sausage tortellini soup, prepare the ingredients up until adding the tortellini. Once cooled, transfer the soup to a freezer-safe container, and keep it frozen for up to 3 months.
- To reheat the soup: Let it thaw in the fridge overnight, warm it back up on the stove, and follow the instructions as listed, starting with boiling the pasta.
Nutrition
Calories: 393.3kcalCarbohydrates: 35.1gProtein: 21.2gFat: 20.1gSaturated Fat: 4.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.7gMonounsaturated Fat: 3.6gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 1325mgPotassium: 396.9mgFiber: 5.1gSugar: 8.3gVitamin A: 5676.9IUVitamin C: 19.1mgCalcium: 147.5mgIron: 3mg
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I made this soup. It was absolutely delicious !!! My husband and I loved it ..
Hi Suzy! Back with another review, which I’m sure you won’t mind. It’s been raining all day here in Canada and it’s definitely soup weather. Craving comfort food all day, and at the tail end of a cold, I wanted something hearty and nutritious. This instantly came to mind and I double batched it. Hot Italian sausage for me. A neighbor of mine is currently unable to fend for himself temporarily, and I saw him outside. I went over and asked if he had dinner yet…answer no. So, I asked him to grab a bowl and come over. He doesn’t like spinach, so I left it out before serving him some. He absolutely loves it, and his little dog was dancing on hind legs, begging for some. Suzy, this review is testament to your philosophy of food bringing people together. Thank you for all you do…you make the world a better place. When I went to my local German market to purchase the sausage, I disclosed to the lady serving me what I was making and she said it sounds fantastic. I told her the name of the recipe and the name of your website, but will write it down for her. This is a hugely busy store and it was swamped due to it being a holiday weekend and with Thanksgiving right around the corner, so I hope at least one other person heard me. Enough of the book, however…the smells of the soup are now no longer able to resist. For anyone who may inquire, I made this entire dish in my IP, minus the pasta, which I did on the stove. It keeps perfectly on the “warm” feature all night for the times I wake up hungry.
Awww! Thank you so much for your lovely review AND for your continued support!!
You’re welcome!
I plan to make this dish during the week, but would like to know what is meant by tomato sauce – US ketchup? Or puree?
Hi, Maree. US tomato sauce is basically passata flavored with a mix of herbs, spices, and vegetables that have been cooked down, thus making it thicker.
I made this last week on a whim and it’s fantastic. No shortage of flavor here. Hearty, comforting and nutritious. I subbed coconut milk and spinach, parsnips for the carrots. This will be on rotation with the cooler months ahead.
Thanks, Kat!
This soup is so quick and delicious! It’s one of my go to week night recipes.
Thanks for the recipe! For making ahead, should I hold off on adding the tortellinis until I’m reheating?
Yes, Alissa… that would be best. Enjoy!
I love this recipe, and made it for the second time tonight. It freezes beautifully. When I made it tonight, I added mushrooms, and they added a nice touch to it. I would give it five stars were it not for the fact that when I divided it into single-cup portions to freeze, there was not enough broth to go around. I think I may use 6 cups of chicken broth next time. It freezes and reheats beautifully. Thank you for the recipe!
Absolutely delicious and SO easy and quick to make!! Will definitely be going into my rotation for winter!!
Made this soup tonight and t is perfect and delicious. Thank you.
I need to buy your book.
Thanks so much, Lorraine!
Is it possible to adapt this recipe to a slow cooker, and if so, what would you recommend? thanks!
Hi, Diana! Sure, I think that would work! You could just complete steps 1 and 2 as stated (the sautéing of the vegetables and the cooking of the sausage). Then add those ingredients to the slow cooker with the liquids and seasonings and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Finally, stir in the tortellini and kale and continue to cook on low for about 30 more minutes. Enjoy!
This was so delicious! We had it tonight with crusty ciabatta bread, yumm! And so easy! Thank you! I made the hot chicken version. This is going in the weeknight rotation!
This is a soup! Had half a package from a Costco 2-pack of Tortolini left over and didn’t know what to do with it, didn’t want to make “spaghetti” night again with them, and saw the video you posted on cooking this fantastic soup. The only tweak I did was using heavy cream [used this] or non-fat milk, as that was all I had on hand, and I added a can of Garbonzo beans! Yummy, flavourful, and delicious!!! Thank you, Suzy, for making Mediterian food so easy and delicious! 🙂
Thanks so much, Gerald!
I have made this soup for years with a slightly different recipe. This is probably healthier, but I prefer to use cream cheese instead of milk. It makes the soup more creamy. I also prefer to not use carrots. The texture is entirely different with the carrots in it. A wonderful recipe. The point is don’t be afraid to tweak as necessary!
Great advice! And thanks for sharing your own adaptations!
This is one of my favorites!
I used chicken sausage with feta and spinach. I also used the entire bunch of kale and cooked it a little longer so the kale would soften. Both my husband and myself are two bowls. Very delicious, thank you Suzy ! ❤️
We have been making this all winter long. It’s a family favorite!
What an easy and delicious meal. It’s a one pot dinner, full of flavors and vegetables. I used pork sausage and spinach. This will be part of our dinner rotation.