If you’re looking for a new soup recipe to add to your list of favorites, this Sausage Tortellini Soup is a must-try!
I’ve been making this tortellini soup for years, and it checks off so many boxes of what a good soup recipe should be.
First and foremost, this tortellini soup is beyond delicious. Each spoonful is a hearty bite of Italian sausage, tortellini and some veggies in a rich tomato broth.
Some soups leave you feeling a bit hungry, but this soup, full of meat and pasta, is completely satisfying.
The recipe makes enough to feed a family, and if you’re lucky, you’ll have some leftovers for lunch. (I love when that happens.)
As an added bonus, if you’re a big fan of one-pot meals (who isn’t), clean-up is a snap!
Why You’ll Love this Soup Recipe
45-Minute Meal. This warm and hearty soup is ready to eat, from start to finish, in less than 45 minutes, but it tastes like it’s been simmering all day.
Easy to keep all the ingredients on-hand. Half of what makes a so-called “easy dinner recipe” easy, is not having to go to the store. Just stock your pantry with canned tomatoes and broth and keep some tortellini and sausage on-hand in the freezer and you basically have everything you need to make this tasty soup.
Makes enough for family dinner and delicious leftovers. This recipe makes enough soup for a family of 4, and is easily doubled. My husband and I love having the leftovers for lunch.
Versatile. Sausage and tortellini pack this soup with flavor, but you really can’t go wrong with substitutions or additions. Feel free to swap the sausage with Italian turkey (that’s what I do), use sausage or spinach tortellini instead of cheese, or pile in some extra veggies.
Looking for another one-pot meal with big flavor? Try my Crock-Pot turkey chili recipe. Just like this sausage tortellini soup, it’s unbelievably easy to make!
Sausage Tortellini Soup Ingredients
- ground sausage or Italian ground turkey
- carrots, onion, celery & garlic
- diced tomatoes & tomato sauce
- chicken broth
- Italian seasoning, salt & pepper
- cheese tortellini
- optional vegetable add-ins (spinach, kale, zucchini)
Italian Sausage: You can use mild or spicy depending on your taste. Substitute with ground Italian turkey sausage if that’s your preference.
Another tasty option is to get flavored sausage links and slice them up. I’ve made this soup with Aidells Chicken & Apple Smoked Chicken Sausage.
Carrots, Onion, Celery, Garlic: This classic flavor base is a must. You’ll want to cook these vegetables slowly over low heat (about 10 minutes) to bring out the sweetness and avoid caramelization. Towards the end, add in fresh garlic.
Diced tomatoes and tomato sauce: I used to make this soup with crushed tomatoes (which are equally tasty), but I like the texture the diced tomatoes bring to the soup party. You can use plain or fire-roasted. The sauce gives the soup broth some thickness.
Chicken Broth: I’ve gotten in the habit of making homemade soups with low-sodium, organic chicken broth, then adding additional salt to taste.
Italian seasoning, salt, pepper: If you don’t have Italian seasoning, use equal amounts of dried basil and oregano. The sausage adds a lot of seasoned flavor as well, so give the soup a taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
Cheese Tortellini: Frozen tortellini or the kind from the refrigerated section both work fine in this soup. I usually get frozen, simply because I can keep it on-hand throughout the soup months.
How to Make Sausage Tortellini Soup
- Cook and crumble the sausage in a stock pot over medium-high heat until browned. Once cooked, scoop the sausage into a small bowl. Set aside.
- Add olive oil (if you drained the sausage fat) to the same pot meat was cooked in, over low heat. Add onion, carrots and celery and cook low and slow for 10 minutes. It really enhances the flavor. The onions should be translucent, not caramelized. Don’t rush this step. During the last minute, add in minced garlic and Italian seasoning.
- Return the cooked meat to the pot, stir, and cook with vegetables for 1-2 minutes. Then, add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and broth. Bring to boil, then simmer 15 minutes.
- Add in tortellini and optional torn spinach or chopped zucchini. Cook tortellini al dente according to your package instructions. Serve hot soup with grated parmesan and crusty bread. Garnish with Italian parsley, if desired.
Detailed recipe and instructions are in recipe card at bottom of post.
Tips and Tricks for Making Sausage Tortellini Soup
- Make this soup leaner and a little healthier by making it with Italian seasoned ground turkey. If you make it with pork sausage, drain the fat and put the cooked sausage crumbles on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb the fat. Then, to cook the onion, carrot and celery, add some olive oil to the pot.
- Use fresh or frozen tortellini. I like frozen so I can always have some ready to go in my freezer during soup season. If you use frozen just set it out to thaw while the soup is cooking. It goes in last so the timing is perfect.
- There are a few ways you can prep this soup ahead. Get your veggies chopped and meat cooked then when it’s time to get dinner ready you just need 20 minutes. Or you can make the soup right up to the point of the tortellini, then cool and refrigerate. When it’s time to eat, warm the soup back up and add the tortellini.
- Freezer meal. Make the soup as directed but don’t add in the tortellini. Thaw, re-heat soup to a boil, then cook the tortellini during the final minutes according to the recipe.
Recipe Variations
- To sneak in some more healthy veggies, you can add in some torn baby spinach, kale or chopped zucchini. Mushrooms or green pepper are both great additions, too.
- For a leaner soup, try making it with Italian turkey sausage instead of pork sausage. Both options have big flavor.
- For a thicker soup base, you can swap diced tomatoes for crushed.
- If you’re watching sodium intake, use low-sodium broth and tomato sauce. Then add in more salt as desired.
- Not a fan of tortellini? Use any small pasta such as ditalini, in its place. If you have extra ditalini you can use it to make this amazing copycat Portillo’s chopped salad.
Sausage Tortellini Soup
Sausage Tortellini Soup is a one-pot recipe that makes a hearty, tomato-based soup full of Italian sausage, cheese tortellini and lots of fresh vegetables. The soup is ready in less than an hour, for a quick and easy dinner that's loaded with big flavor and totally satisfying!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage, mild
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 carrots carrots, sliced thinly (about 1 cup)
- 2 stalks celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 28 ounces petite diced tomatoes, plain or fire-roasted
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (or oregano & basil)
- 9 ounces tortellini
- salt and pepper to taste
- freshly grated parmesan, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Cook and crumble the sausage in a stock pot over medium-high heat until browned. Once cooked, scoop the sausage into a small bowl. Set aside.
- Add olive oil (if you drained the sausage fat) to the same pot meat was cooked in, over low heat. Add onion, carrots and celery and cook low and slow for 10 minutes. It really enhances the flavor. The onions should be translucent, not caramelized. Don't rush this step. During the last minute, add in minced garlic and Italian seasoning.
- Return the cooked meat to the pot, stir, and cook with vegetables for 1-2 minutes. Then, add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and broth. Bring to boil, then simmer 15 minutes.
- Add in tortellini and optional torn spinach or chopped zucchini. Cook tortellini al dente according to your package instructions. Serve hot soup with grated parmesan and crusty bread. Garnish with Italian parsley, if desired.
Notes
- To sneak in some more healthy veggies, you can add in some torn baby spinach, kale or chopped zucchini. Mushrooms or green pepper are both great additions, too.
- For a leaner soup, try making it with Italian turkey sausage instead of pork sausage. Both options have big flavor.
- For a thicker soup base, you can swap diced tomatoes for crushed.
- If you're watching sodium intake, use low-sodium broth and tomato sauce. Then add in more salt as desired.
- Not a fan of tortellini? Use any small pasta such as ditalini, in its place.