Creamy Tortellini Soup
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Creamy tortellini soup made with Italian sausage, cheese-filled tortellini, kale, and Parmesan rind for extra richness. A cozy comfort food recipe ready in just 30 minutes.
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This creamy tortellini soup is one of the most popular Damn Delicious recipes. A quick and hearty Italian-inspired soup with sausage, kale, and tender tortellini simmered in a Dutch oven.
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 for the Best Creamy Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage
- 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 or large cast iron pot – essential for simmering creamy tortellini soup evenly.
Dutch oven
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.
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Simply delicious I used spinach instead of kale because I had it handy and needed to use it
I also added Portabella mushrooms
Simply delicious
Great recipe! Sausage was past the best by date so I quartered Trader Joe’s chicken meatballs that are pre-cooked and substituted baby spinach as I don’t like kale
This Recipe is one of my favorite soups for a quick dinner, so delicious and easy! I’ve made it so often I know it by heart. Thank you so much for a great staple in my repertoire. I love your recipes and have your first cook book. Love you so much, thank you, thank you, thank you!
I made this for dinner and it was amazing. I used turkey sausage and spinach and it turned out great. This recipe is a keeper.
This is absolutely the most delicious thing I have ever made!!! My husband’s mouth waters every time I say I am making this. I’ve made this many time for family and friends and they all love it. I use spicy sausage i like the little kick it gives it. It’s so simple and good. Actually making it again today.
Fabulous and easy! Used mild sausage and added about 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes with seasoning for a little kick. Separated tortellini so I could cook use some for dinner tonight and then left some uncooked to freeze with leftovers for next meal. Thank you.
I made so many mistakes making this it was as if I was trying to ruin it. No dice. Delicious! Can’t wait to try again with all the ingredients and make in proper order!
This was delicious. I followed most of the recipe. Here were my adjustments- I used 5 cloves of garlic, omitted the flour (seemed unnecessary) and I used a 28 oz can of San Marzano tomatoes, crushed them before adding. I used spinach instead of kale. Served this with warm Italian bread and it was a hit! Next time I’d add some crushed red pepper to the seasoning before adding the liquid. Or I could use spicy Italian sausage. Definitely add fresh basil! It adds a freshness to the dish. Could also garnish with freshly grated Parmesan
Full disclosure – I HATE cooking. I used to love it, but I have a very picky husband who over 42 years of marriage took the joy out of it for me. He dislikes nearly every ingredient in this recipe. But, we were both sick with a cold and I decided to try it anyway for myself. He absolutely LOVES this soup! SHOCKER!!! I had a bag of fresh kale and spinach mixed. I forgot to cut off the stems, but it didn’t matter. We ate this soup for three days straight. I don’t know if you can freeze the base and just add the tortellini, but if you can, I will prepare and freeze a lot of this for next winter. Anyone can make this – its easy. And if my husband likes it, everyone will.
This was DELICIOUS! I like it spicy so used hot Italian sausage and a can of fire roasted tomatoes with 1/2 can tomato paste! Will definitely make again! Thank you for such a great recipe!
I have been making this regularly for the past 3 years! It’s quick, easy and tasty. I use a bag of frozen kale.
Amazing soup. We started making this last year for neighbors who had Covid or bronchitis and it is our neighborhood miracle soup. Must be the chicken stock and garlic along with the yummy flavors but everyone swears they feel better after a meal of this with bread and fruit. It’s on our regular rotation and we never tire of it
Can I used ground sausage instead?
Yes! I use Publix ground Italian sausage – mild or hot – both are great
Made this for dinner on Sunday and it was super delicious!
I made it three times already, great soup for cold days. Love serving with French bread to sop up the juices in the bowl. Awesome recipe!
This soup is SO good. I used spinach instead of kale and dried basil instead of fresh, but followed everything else exactly. It turned out perfect. My husband loved it and asked if I can make it again. Recipe instructions are also super easy to follow.
This soup is just perfect and goes down so good on a cold day. Delicious
WOW. This recipe is a keeper!
This soup is AMAZING!!!! Used spinach instead of kale…
Actually the best soup I’ve ever had