Sausage and Tortellini Soup

5 from 5 votes

Sausage and Tortellini Soup

When it’s cold, raining, or miserable outside, it’s lovely to welcome your family with a steaming, hearty pot of soup. Sausage and Tortellini Soup, an Italian classic, is a one-pot meal that’s rich, creamy, delicious, and will fill hungry tummies in no time.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: Servings

Calories: 506kcal

Author: Aimee Mars

Equipment

Large Pot or Dutch Oven
Wooden Spoon

Ingredients

1 lb Ground Pork Sausage
1 medium Yellow Onion
4 Garlic Cloves minced
3 tablespoons Flour
1/2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
1/2 teaspoon Dried Thyme
1 cup Heavy Cream
1 15 ounce can Diced Tomatoes
1 28 ounce can Crushed Tomatoes
2 cups Chicken Broth
2 cups Refrigerated Tortellini
2 cups Baby Spinach

Instructions

First heat a large pot or my personal favorite a large Dutch oven, over medium heat. Add the sausage and then use a wooden spoon to break it apart as it browns. You'll want to it be in small crumbles.
Chop the onions and mince the garlic. Then slide the onions first into the pot and toss them with the browned sausage. Allow them to cook for about 5 minutes and then add the minced garlic. Cook for 1 more minute.
Sprinkle the flour into your pot and toss to coat with the other ingredients. Let it cook, untouched for about 1 minute. Then toss the ingredients and let them cook for 1 more minute. This cooks off the raw flour taste.
Using your wooden spoon mix in the dried oregano and thyme.
Add the diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer.
Pour in the heavy cream, toss in the tortellini, and add the spinach. Allow the sauce to simmer and heat the tortellini for 5 minutes or until they are softened and warmed throughout.
This is where you let your inner chef shine. Taste the soup and see if it needs any additional seasoning (this could also include seasoning such as oregano that's not on the recipe list). Add what you need.

Notes

Try different meat. Replace the ground pork sausage with Italian or hot sausage. You could also use beef, turkey, lamb, chicken sausage, ground beef, or shredded chicken.
Make it vegetarian. Use Beyond Meat sausage or a tin of cannellini beans for a vegetarian alternative.
Add extra veggies when you fry the onions. These tasty additions could include finely diced celery, grated carrots, chopped mushrooms, and sliced bell peppers.
Simmering is important. Once you’ve added the tomatoes and the stock or broth, let the soup simmer – a slow, gentle cooking time will add depth of flavor. But don’t add the spinach, cream, and pasta until the end.
Cut down on the calories by replacing some or all the heavy cream with half and half or if you are making this dairy-free use full-fat coconut milk.
Don't overcook the tortellini. Fresh tortellini or ravioli will cook quickly, so take care not to overcook the pasta will break apart. However, you can use frozen or dried pasta instead, increasing the cooking time and adding the spinach at the end.
Change up the spinach or leave it out. You can use regular spinach, Swiss chard, or kale instead of baby spinach. You’ll need to chop these greens more finely and add a few minutes to the cooking time to ensure they are tender.

Storage and or Freezing Instructions

Leftovers - Store leftover sausage and tortellini soup with spinach in an airtight container in the fridge for three to four days. The tortellini will soak up the soup and swell as it sits. Add a little chicken stock when heating on the stovetop or microwave to thin the soup.
Freeze it - You can freeze leftover soup for a month, but the tortellini will become soggy and breaky when you thaw it.
Make it ahead - If you plan to make the soup in advance and then freeze it, leave out the tortellini. Cook the soup and cool it to room temperature. Place portions of the soup in freezer-proof, airtight containers and freeze for up to one month.
Thaw - To thaw frozen soup, leave it in the fridge overnight. Heat the thawed soup on the stovetop, adding the tortellini five minutes before serving.

Nutrition