Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup with Sausage Recipe

Ingredients needed to make sausage tortellini soup

See recipe card for exact amounts.

Ingredient Notes

Italian sausage – I like mild Italian sausage for this, it’s also known as bulk sausage and comes in a package just like ground beef. Spicy Italian sausage, sweet Italian sausage, Italian chicken sausage, or Italian turkey sausage links. If using link sausage the casing will need to be removed before cooking it.

tortellini – we use cheese tortellini, any type of tortellini can be used. 

chicken broth – reduced-sodium chicken broth is the healthier option, regular can be used, homemade chicken stock is also a great choice. 

onion – I use a large yellow onion, white onion can be used. 

olive oil – this is classic in Italian cooking, vegetable oil or canola oil will work too. 

tomato sauce – this ensures a rich and flavorful broth. 

spinach – fresh spinach works best because it wilts perfectly, frozen spinach can be used. I find spinach in packages from 5 oz up to 10 oz, this particular batch you see in the photos was an 8 oz bag, you can use any amount between 5 and 8 oz (or even 10, if you want it chock-full of spinach).

heavy cream – I use a small amount of heavy cream for a rich and creamy soup, it can be left out of you don’t have it or don’t want to buy it for such a small amount. 

garlic – we almost always use minced garlic that comes in a jar, fresh garlic cloves work great too. 

seasonings – Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper and a bit of crushed red pepper flakes are all that is needed to make the perfect soup.

Parmesan cheese – this is an optional topping to put on individual servings of soup. 

How to make creamy tortellini soup recipe

1. Heat the oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat, add the Italian sausage and chopped onion and cook until the sausage browns, crumble sausage with a wooden spoon to break it up while it cooks. This will take about 5-7 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute. 
3. Next, add the tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes stirring to combine. Stir in the broth and heavy cream.
4. Add the tortellini and cook about 5 minutes, add the spinach and cook another 2-3 minutes, or until the tortellini is tender and the spinach has wilted. 
5. Serve hot, topped with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Recipe Notes

• I find spinach in packages from 5 oz up to 10 oz, this particular batch you see in the photos was an 8 oz bag, you can use any amount between 5 and 8 oz (or even 10, if you want it chock-full of spinach).
• I use fresh tortellini that is found in the refrigerated section, or even the deli, of most grocery stores. If using dried tortellini, that is found on the pasta aisle, it will need to cook more than twice as long as fresh or frozen.

Variations and additions

• Vegetable broth or beef broth can be used instead of chicken broth.
• Kale, or other leafy greens, can be used instead of spinach.
• White beans, like cannellini beans or great northern beans, can be added for additional nutrition and flavor.
• Canned tomatoes can be added. 

Storage and reheating

Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-high heat on the stove top or in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave.