Creamy Tortellini Soup
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My favorite cozy weeknight soup made in 30 min! Loaded with tender tortellini, sausage and kale! And it’s so easy!
Featured Comment
Have you seen the news? It’s apparently -50 degrees windchill in Chicago right now. I wish I was joking. Meanwhile, it was 69 degrees F here in LA today. How will Butters and I survive in the Windy City?
I’ve loaded up on parkas and electric blankets for myself and Butters. But I don’t know, guys. It’s going to be a dicey winter for us Californians.
But what I do know is this – have as much of this creamy tortellini soup as possible until the polar vortex passes. That and all the crusty bread to sop up all this creamy goodness.
Oh, and the wine. That helps warm you up too, no?
tips and tricks for success
- Use fresh tortellini. Fresh tortellini will cook much faster than dried or frozen tortellini, and will yield more softer pasta.
- Add the cream slowly. Always add the heavy cream at the very end, pouring very slowly to prevent curdling.
- Save leftover Parmesan rinds. Get more out of those expensive Parmesan cheeses by using up the leftover rinds! Adding a Parmesan rind slightly thickens the broth and adds a level of nutty richness to the soup.
- Store tortellini separately for leftovers. When planning for leftovers, store the cooked tortellini separately from the soup to prevent it from soaking up all the broth.
- Serve with crusty bread. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread for dipping, sopping and dunking!
what to serve with tortellini soup
Tools For This Recipe
Dutch oven
Creamy Tortellini Soup: Frequently Asked Questions
Swiss chard, baby spinach, collard greens, and cabbage are all great options.
We love using fresh cheese tortellini for a more neutral base but your favorite tortellini would also work very well here.
Absolutely! Dried tortellini can be cooked in a separate pot and added to the soup at the end of cooking time until warmed through.
Heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream) has one of the highest fat contents with about 36-40% fat. Half and half or whole milk are suitable substitutes, but will yield a lighter result.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers without the tortellini and heavy cream (cream soups tend to separate when frozen) in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop, adding cooked tortellini and heavy cream when serving.
Creamy Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound Italian sausage, casing removed
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (3-inch) Parmesan rind, optional
- 1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated three cheese tortellini
- ½ bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add Italian sausage and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks; drain excess fat.
- Stir in garlic, onion and Italian seasoning. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Stir in chicken stock, tomato sauce and Parmesan rind, if using. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in tortellini; cover and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in kale until wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and basil until heated through, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately.
Video
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I am not an experienced cook at all. Are you supposed to use the ENTIRE Onion for 6 servings? It seems like a lot for 4 cups of chicken broth.
So onion can be deceiving. Raw onion is pungent, but when you cook with them, it more “smooths” the flavors over. It almost helps it all to blend better.
This is my absolute most favorite soup recipe! I double it because my husband and I gobble it up! When doubling I use 1 lb mild and 1 lb hot sausage. Make this immediately! It will not disappoint !
Made this for the family and they loved it! Used spinach instead of kale and added Italian sausage ravioli only because I had it in the freezer. Will make this again….84° in Honolulu but a/c made it cool enough to enjoy soup for dinner with warm crusty Italian bread.
It is a wonderful soup for cold nights.. my daughter liked it.. full of nutritions..
This is a delicious soup. I have made it at least 10 times. My husband and I love it any time of the year, winter or summer.
Very flavorful, kids love it. Thank you!
Amazing and easy soup for a rainy night! I used spinach arugula combo and topped with grated part. Delightful!
Delicious filling soup. Everyone loved it!
I make this with a few variations, including arugala instead of kale. Sooooo good!!!
I love this soup!!!!
My friends were skeptical of a tortellini soup but were amazed once they had a bite. I’ll have to lay off the salt next time but very delicious. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a quick and delicious meal 🙂
Absolutely our favorite soup to make. All the kids love it too!
It was good and easy. I thought the Italian seasoning was a lot so I only put half in and still tasted it a lot. Thank you!
Love all of your recipes!! This is about as easy as it gets for a quick and delicious meal.
I decided to add a block of Boursin shallot and chive cheese and this took it over the top! Left out the cream and let the Boursin add the creamy goodness!
Thanks again for posting so many yummy recipes
Susanne
This soup is fantastic! I took it into the office and it was devoured!
Yum!!! Wonderful soup. I didn’t have any sausage thawed so added 2 cups of chopped mushrooms to boost the umami and the a bit more oil. Will make again with sausage.
This is INSANELY good!!! However unless u use multiple pots it takes closer to an hour to make. Totally worth it though. So good!! Will be a winter staple for us from now on!!!
So good! I used Barillo dried tortellini and still turn out great!
I make this quite often and substitute fresh spinach if I don’t have kale on hand. I keep it warm in an electric roasting pan if serving at a large gathering. Always a hit!
This is one of my favorite soups to make! It’s easy and SO delicious! I always double the recipe. Look at all the 5 star reviews! What are you waiting for?