Sausage Tortellini Soup (Easy 25-Minute Dinner)

What Makes This Recipe Work

Browning the sausage first gives the broth a savory backbone, and the cream goes in before the pasta so the soup only needs a gentle simmer that will not curdle it. Timing the tortellini at the end prevents a waterlogged bowl.

Ingredients for Sausage Tortellini Soup (Easy 25

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb mild or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
• 1 (9 to 12 oz) package refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper

How to Make Sausage Tortellini Soup (Easy 25

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, add the sausage, and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned, 5 to 6 minutes.
2. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, then stir in the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for 30 seconds.
3. Pour in the broth and diced tomatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes to blend the flavors.
4. Lower the heat to medium, stir in the cream, and return the pot to a gentle simmer; do not boil hard.
5. Add the tortellini and cook for the package time minus 1 minute, about 3 minutes for refrigerated or 5 to 7 minutes for frozen, until they float and are tender.
6. Stir in the spinach and Parmesan and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach wilts.
7. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately with extra Parmesan on top.

Tips for the Best Sausage Tortellini Soup (Easy 25

• Refrigerated tortellini cooks in about 3 minutes in the soup; frozen tortellini needs 5 to 7 minutes straight from the freezer.
• Do not boil hard once the cream is in; a gentle simmer keeps the broth silky.
• Refrigerated-section tortellini has the best texture; shelf-stable works but turns chewier.
• Leftovers soak up broth quickly, so save a cup of the soup and stir it back in when reheating.

Variations and Substitutions

• For a brothy version, leave out the cream and use 6 cups of broth instead; the rest of the method stays the same.
• Slow cooker creamy tortellini soup: brown the sausage, then cook everything except the tortellini and cream on LOW 4 hours, add the tortellini for the last 20 minutes, and stir in the cream at the end.
• Add 2 cups of fresh spinach or chopped kale along with the tortellini for extra greens.

How to Store and Reheat

• Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat gently with a splash of broth.
• Freeze the soup base without the tortellini for up to 2 months; fresh pasta turns mushy after thawing.

Sausage Tortellini Soup (Easy 25 FAQ