Creamy Tortellini Soup
by Chungah
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A quick 30 min dinner! Made with crumbled sausage, kale, Parmesan and tender tortellini. So easy, so cozy, so good.
Featured Comment
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.
reasons to make creamy tortellini soup
- Weeknight miracle dinner using quick-cooking tortellini, made in 30 minutes start to finish
- Truly the best kind of cold weather cozy, comfort food (or when you’re under the weather)
- Best served with all the crusty bread to sop up every last drop of this lovely creamy goodness
- Incredibly flexible, forgiving recipe using your favorite protein and veggies on hand
tips and tricks for success
- Use fresh tortellini. Fresh cheese tortellini cooks quickly and keeps the soup creamy without becoming mushy.
- Add the cream slowly at the very end to prevent curdling and to keep your tortellini soup creamy and smooth.
- Save leftover Parmesan rinds. Adding them while simmering in a Dutch oven gives this creamy tortellini soup a nutty depth of flavor.
- Store tortellini separately for leftovers. Store cooked tortellini separately when meal prepping or freezing so the soup doesn’t lose its creamy broth.
- Serve with crusty bread. Serve with homemade crusty bread or garlic knots for dipping—classic sides for creamy tortellini soup.
What to Serve with Creamy Tortellini Soup
Tools For Making Tortellini Soup
Dutch oven
Tortellini Soup: Frequently Asked Questions
Spinach, cabbage, swiss chard and collard greens 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 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
Did you make this recipe?
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This is absolutely delicious, to the point I crave it!! Want to make again today and like using hot Italian sausage which I can’t get hold of today. I have some spicy V8 juice to use up, was thinking about using that instead of the tomato sauce and just put a little more flour in to make up for the viscosity difference. Has anybody done that or have recommendations?
We really enjoyed this creamy, flavorful soup. I used both cheese and mushroom tortellini, along with spinach and sliced fresh mushrooms. My kids added a sprinkle of freshly shredded parmesan. Served with a nice crusty Italian bread for dipping made a perfect fall meal.
My favorite soup! I sub chopped spinach for the kale. It’s always a huge hit, i make it all fall/winter long!
Great, easy to prepare recipe, full of flavor. First time I made it, people asked for the recipe.
Does this recipe work without cream? I don’t have any. All I have is homogenized milk…
I have made this numerous times, and it is very customizable. I have used hot Italian sausage, I’ve thrown in chopped zucchini, I’ve also made it without the cream before. Always delicious! I even quadrupled the recipe for a family gathering and kept it warm in one of those big electric roasters. There are never any leftovers unfortunately lol!
Do you think this would work with half and half instead of heavy cream to reduce the calories?
Absolutely!
One of my all time favourite soup recipes. My family always requests it, highly highly recommend.
Can I sub dried tortellini?
I’ve done it several times and I didn’t notice a difference. I make this soup recipe all the time and we love it!
Can I double the recipe
You can easily double this. I have quadrupled the recipe for a large family gathering and kept it warm in an electric roaster.
Have made this many times. I sub spinach for kale. SO damn delicious.
So good. So full of flavor. Easy to make too.
Delicious! One of a family’s favorite
Where’s the nutrition information?
Just made this for dinner and it was incredible!
I’m vegetarian so I cut out the sausage, and added a pinch of anise seeds.
Will definitely be making again in the future, might try adding mushrooms next time!
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.