Creamy Tortellini Soup
by Chungah
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A quick 30-minute creamy tortellini soup! Made with Italian sausage, greens, Parmesan and quick-cooking tortellini. So fast, easy, and cozy!
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Why you’ll love this creamy tortellini soup
- Weeknight miracle dinner. This recipe calls for quick-cooking refrigerated tortellini, allowing the soup to come together in just 30 minutes, start to finish.
- Cold weather comfort food. We’re talking about the best kind of cozy, comfort food here. The velvety tomato broth with crumbled sausage and pillowy tortellini with sneaked in greens just hits different, especially when you’re under the weather or during those blistery snow days.
- Perfect with crusty bread. This is just one of those soups best served with all the crusty bread to sop up every last drop of all the creamy goodness.
- Incredibly flexible, forgiving recipe. This is a great opportunity to use up all those wilting veggies and leftover proteins instantly.
How to make creamy tortellini soup
- Crumble the sausage. Remove the meat from its casing (if using links) and cook the sausage in large chunks in a Dutch oven over medium heat, breaking the sausage into small pieces as it continues to cook. Drain the excess fat, leaving just enough for flavor.
- Sauté the aromatics. Stir in the garlic, onion, and Italian seasoning (or any additional herbs on hand).
- Whisk in the flour. Stir in the flour until lightly browned. The flour will serve as a natural thickening agent for the soup.
- Simmer. Add the chicken stock, tomato sauce, and Parmesan rind, simmering on low heat until slightly thickened. The longer it simmers, the more it will reduce.
- Add the tortellini. Stir in the fresh tortellini until cooked through, about 5 minutes. If using dried tortellini, cook them in a separate pot and add it here.
- Make it creamy. Add the kale, heavy cream, and basil until warmed through, seasoning one last time with salt and pepper.
- Serve warm. Serve immediately with crusty bread. If preparing for leftovers, store the tortellini separately as the tortellini in the soup can absorb the broth very quickly.
variations and substitutions
Protein swap
This is a great time to repurpose leftover shredded rotisserie chicken! Or you can substitute the Italian sausage for ground turkey (or beef) or shrimp.
Vegetarian-friendly
For a vegetarian option, use canned cannellini beans or navy beans, or extra-firm tofu that has been pan-fried or baked (also substituting the chicken stock for vegetable stock).
Additional vegetables or veggie swap
Add in any lingering vegetables such as carrots, celery, bell peppers, zucchini, or green beans.
Different greens
Swap out the kale for spinach, cabbage, swiss chard, or collard greens, adding towards the end of cook time.
Skip the tomatoes
For a more cream-based soup without tomatoes, try this recipe instead.
Slow cooker method
Make this in the crockpot instead, cooking low and slow for 7-8 hours.
freezing and storage
Storage
Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Pro tip: if you are planning for leftovers beforehand, store the cooked tortellini and soup base separately.
Reheating
Gently reheat on the stovetop and add a splash of chicken stock, milk, or heavy cream to restore the desired consistency.
To Freeze
Freeze the soup base only without the tortellini and heavy cream as cream soups tend to separate when frozen. Once cooled completely, store in individual freezer bags. To reheat, thaw overnight and gently reheat on the stovetop, adding freshly cooked tortellini and heavy cream just before serving.
What to Serve with Creamy Tortellini Soup
Tools For this recipe
Dutch oven
Creamy Tortellini Soup: Frequently Asked Questions
Leafy greens such as spinach, cabbage, swiss chard, and collard greens are all excellent options.
I love using quick-cooking fresh cheese tortellini for a more neutral base but your favorite tortellini would also work very well here.
Absolutely! But dried tortellini should be cooked separately 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! 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 freshly cooked tortellini and heavy cream when serving.
Creamy Tortellini Soup
Video
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
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.
Equipment
Notes
- Use refrigerated tortellini. Fresh refrigerated tortellini tastes much better than dry tortellini and cooks up so much faster.
- 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.
- Add in leafy greens. This is a great recipe to sneak in leafy greens for those picky eaters. Spinach, kale, collard greens, swiss chard, or arugula are all great options.
- Add the cream slowly. Always add the heavy cream at the very end, pouring very slowly to prevent curdling.
- 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 homemade crusty bread or garlic knots for dipping—classic sides for creamy tortellini soup.
Did you make this recipe?
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Tastes delicious and was perfect for winter season. I didn’t have basil or kale but still turned out yummy.
I love this recipe! We have made it several times, and tonight I used cooked rotini pasta instead of tortellini bc it is what we had. We used 12 oz of precooked, mild ground sausage and about half a package of baby spinach instead of kale, adding cooked pasta and spinach directly to the bowls before adding the hot broth. I also added a can of drained and rinsed great northern beans for extra protein, 2 oz of pre-grated parmesan instead of rind, and 2 Tbsp of burre blanc to thicken instead of just flour. I also used dried basil as we don’t usually have fresh. So tasty and pretty fast, since most of the ingredients were cooked and ready to go. Always a hit!
Do you think I can freeze the leftovers for another time my husband isn’t a fan of tortellini’s I’m Italian and love them.
I haven’t made it yet but I’m going to soon.
I follow you and have made many of your recipes they have been A+++. Thank you
This soup has been a staple in our house for a while now! So delicious, it’s addicting!! So easy to make and in not a lot of time. Love this soup!!
I made this recipe a couple days ago. I followed the instructions with a few exceptions, which were minor (I used a tablespoon of dried basil, and half and half vs heavy cream)- mostly just to save a little money because I had those ingredients already.
It was delicious and a hit. I will be making again. I think I am going to check out Italian Wedding Soup now.
My go to soup for a rainy or cold day!! I always add a bit more kale and have started adding carrot and it turns out great. I think zucchini would also be tasty if you’re looking to add more veggies!
Do not skip the parmesan rind! So easy and so good! 10/10 will definitely make again 🙂
Yummy! I added more stock, cream, a tablespoon of tomato paste, zucchini and used mini ravioli from Trader Joe’s. Delicious and the ravioli didn’t absorb the liquid for leftovers
This recipe was delicious!! I have to admit that I had to make some changes due to some picky eaters. But whatever way you fix this wonderful soup…it will be good!
So good and so easy! Came out perfect!
Phenomenal soup!
My family and I love this so much, definitely one of our favorites on a cold rainy day!
I’m on my 3rd round of this soup in about 5 weeks! Delicious. Quick. Filling.
I loventhe aroma of it cooking on the stove too!
Thanks for a great recipe!
My husband says he dreams about this soup!
Hi! I was wondering what everyone served with the dish? Salad or Sandwich ideas would be wonderful. Thanks!
Crusty bread!
Grilled cheese
So good! A favorite in my house and so easy!
We make this on repeat. My husband requests this soup all the time. It is probably our favorite soup recipe ever and so, so easy!! I never leave reviews, but I have to for this recipe as much as I come back to it over and over. It’s a keeper!
This is one of my favorite recipes!! Truly! I come back over and over.
Starting a weight loss journey and now tracking calories. Any idea what the calories are on this per pot or serving?
You just have to find the calories of heavy cream and pasta and sausage
Easy peasy
Such a fantastic recipe! The combination of ingredients is just perfect, and your instructions make it look so effortless. Can’t wait to make it soon!
Great Soup
One of my favorites
So tasty & so quick to make on a weeknight! Thanks for another great recipe!