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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My 19 year old daughter made this but instead of sauce she used canned chopped tomatoes. So, so good, You’ll want thirds!
OMG-The best soup. I made it for my Christmas lunch for my family. I didn’t make it previously so we all tasted it for the first time together. A real winner with all 8 of us!
Rich, creamy and delicious.
Very good and easy. I used dried tortellini as that is what I had and kale from the garden.
My hubby loves this – thank you for another delicious recipe! It is now a regular menu feature at our house.
Easy and So Delicious!
I made this for the soup and salad course of a progressive dinner, and it was an absolute hit!
I followed the directions exactly because I am not a great cook and I impressed everyone including myself. The only thing I changed was substituting spinach for kale. Everyone asked for the recipe. I will be definitely making this again and again.
Great flavor and super easy. Thx for sharing such great recipes.
Delicious – i use it for a meal prep for either lunch or dinner – I about a cup or two of quinoa when I add the stock and tomato sauce (I usually up the tomato sauce to 14 oz to compensate for the needed liquid) so I can meet my dietary needs – delicious and filling – I also usually add a piece of crusty bread
SOOOOO good and perfect for a midweek winter meal. The first time I made it as written and my daughter and I each ate so much, we were groaning from being so full. The next time I made it a bit easier even then it is by using jarred spaghetti sauce to replace the Italian seasoning and tomato sauce. We like it spicy so I also used hot italian sausage. It is so worth making it though, one of or favorite go tos, especially when it is a busy sport filled night and you have to get dinner made quick.
made this twice now! love it!! delicious 🙂
This is amazing !! Great recipe!!
This is one of my absolute favorite soups! So warm and comforting on a cold winter night.
I do sub spinach for the kale (personal preference).
If you’re thinking about making this soup, MAKE THE SOUP! It’s sooooo good and very comforting. I replace the kale with spinach and it’s great!
Huge hit in our house! My son, who doesn’t like soup, loves it. Big flavor for such a short cooking time. I’ve made it twice now. First time following the recipe, except for the kale (substituted spinach) and heavy cream (substituted half & half with a pat of butter). Fantastic, as is! Second time added some mushrooms and a few shakes of crushed red pepper…for a little deeper flavor. Serve it up with some crusty Italian bread and a TJs Lemony Arugula Basil Salad Kit. Easy and yummy! Thank you for this recipe!
This is a delicious recipe. I subbed spinach for kale, subbed veggie broth for chicken, and used spicy Italian sausage, but otherwise followed the recipe. Wow! Would highly recommend- 10 out of 10. Thank you!
kinda thick next day, otherwise delicious. need calories, nutricional info
So good! Used spinach instead of kale and added more broth. Hope it freezes well because it’s just 2 of us.
I make this just as written and it is very yummy and everyone in our house loves it.
Amazing recipe!!! I added a bit of Frank’s hot sauce for a little acidity. Both the boyfriend and I agree we’ll be making this again. I’ll be adding a little more broth next time because it’s SO GOOD!!
This has become a family favorite. Weather turned cold again and I had to make this soup-again. Garlic bread and dinner is served. I’m sure we will be having this again soon.
IP Version-
Follow the directions as stated, but use sauté function for meat, onion, and garlic and add dry tortellini . Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes and slowly release pressure to reduce splattering. Add spinach and basil.