Sausage Tortellini Soup
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When you need dinner on the table before the after-school rush hits, this sausage tortellini soup comes together in one pot in about 25 minutes. It’s a budget-friendly dinner my boys ask for on repeat, packed with Italian sausage, cheesy tortellini, and just enough spinach to sneak in some greens.
Soup season means dinner is usually happening after dark, and there’s something about a hot bowl of this one that makes the early sunset feel a little less rough. It’s the kind of meal that fills the kitchen with the smell of simmering sausage and tomatoes while everyone’s still peeling off coats and backpacks.
I love having a rotation of soups like this for the colder months. My recipes for Ham and White Bean Soup, Chicken and Rice Soup, and Ham and Lentil Soup all get regular rotation too, but this one disappears the fastest at our table.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I have been making this soup for many years now and it’s always perfect. I’ve tried many other recipes but this is by far the best. I always have to double it to give to various family and friends. You cannot go wrong with this soup. A real crowd pleaser!!! Thank you for this great recipe!
–E Bray
Why This Recipe is a Family Favorite
Trust me, this Italian soup recipe earns top billing in your dinner lineup. Everything you need for a balanced meal is all in one bowl: protein, pasta, and a vegetable. That means there’s no need to plan a side dish!
It also means less to clean up. Everything cooks in the same pot from start to finish, so instead of scrubbing three dishes after dinner, there’s just one.
Happy Kitchen Secrets
Here are my important mom-tested cooking tips for making this recipe! I’ve made this countless times, so I can save you from a failed attempt.
- Let the sausage sit for a minute before you start breaking it apart. Giving it a little contact time with the pot first gets you a deeper sear, instead of sausage that just turns gray as you stir.
- Taste the broth before you season it. Chicken broth brands vary a lot in how salty they already are, so the ½ teaspoon of salt in the recipe is a starting point, not a rule. Add it gradually and taste as you go.
- Add the crushed red pepper at the end instead of the beginning. Letting everyone see and control how much heat goes into their own bowl (or adding it directly to the pot right before serving) makes it easier to keep the soup kid-friendly while still giving the adults an option to spice it up.
Ingredients
You’ll want to add these ingredients to your grocery shopping list:
The Italian sausage is the base of the flavor here. Mild keeps things kid-friendly, but spicy sausage is a good swap if your crew likes a bit of spice.
Cheese tortellini turns this from a soup into a full meal. Fresh tortellini from the refrigerated section is what I use most often, but frozen works too.
As for the greens, baby spinach is my go-to since it wilts in quickly without any chopping. Regular spinach or kale work as substitutes, though both hold up a little longer in the broth than baby spinach does.
Of course, store-bought chicken broth is just fine, but if you have some of my homemade chicken broth on hand, that would make it even better!
How to Make Sausage Tortellini Soup
Probably the best thing about this recipe (besides how delicious it is, I mean) is how quickly and easily it comes together.
For the full instructions, see the recipe card! ⬇️
Jump to Recipe
- Start by browning the sausage in your Dutch oven, breaking it up as it cooks. Once it’s fully browned, drain off the grease and put the pot back on the burner.
- Add in the onion and garlic and let them cook until the onion turns soft and translucent. Be sure to stir often, since garlic burns fast.
- Pour in the broth and diced tomatoes and stir everything together. Turn up the burner heat to bring the soup to a simmer.
- Stir in the tortellini and let it simmer right in the broth.
Helpful Tip
If you're using frozen tortellini instead of fresh, it'll need a few extra minutes in the pot. Keep an eye on it and pull it once it's tender rather than going by a fixed time.
- Once the tortellini is tender, stir in the spinach and let it wilt down into the soup.
- Give it a taste and season with salt, pepper, and if you'd like some heat, crushed red pepper. Ladle it into bowls and serve.
Make it kid friendly: If you have a picky eater who's suspicious of soup in general, scooping extra tortellini and sausage into their bowl with a little less broth tends to win them over.
Meal Prep Instructions
This is a great one to get a head start on if your week is already packed. A day or two ahead, dice the onion and mince the garlic. Put them in a covered container and keep them in the fridge. This way, all that will be left to do on the night you're cooking is browning the sausage and building the broth.
If you want to go a step further, brown the sausage and build the broth (through the diced tomatoes step) ahead of time, then refrigerate it separately from the tortellini and spinach.
When you're ready to eat, bring the broth back to a simmer and add the tortellini and spinach fresh, so neither one sits and gets soggy waiting on the rest of dinner.
Sausage Tortellini Soup FAQs
Stored in an airtight container, leftovers keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Yes. Since this recipe doesn't use any cream, the broth freezes well for up to a couple of months without separating the way creamier tortellini soups can.
Tortellini keeps absorbing broth the longer it sits, so what's perfectly tender the night you make it will be soft by the time you reheat it a couple days later. To avoid this, store the tortellini in a separate container from the broth, then combine them in the bowl when you reheat.
Warm it gently on the stovetop over medium heat, adding a splash of extra broth as needed. The tortellini soaks up liquid as it sits, so the soup will look thicker on day two than it did the night you made it.
After you make this recipe, please give it a star rating below and comment to let me know how it went!
Sausage Tortellini Soup
Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground Italian sausage mild or spicy
- ½ cup diced yellow onion about ¼ large onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 cloves
- 6 cups chicken broth chicken stock, or vegetable broth
- 14 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 20 ounces cheese tortellini
- 6 cups baby spinach loosely packed; about 6 ounces
- ½ teaspoon sea salt or more/less, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper or more/less, to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper optional
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley optional
Instructions
- In a 6-quart or larger Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, brown the 1 lb. ground Italian sausage over medium heat, breaking it apart as it cooks. Drain any excess grease if needed or desired.
- Add the ½ cup diced yellow onion and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent and fragrant. Add 2 teaspoons minced garlic and cook for another minute, stirring constantly to prevent it from burning.
- Pour the 6 cups chicken broth and 14 ounces canned diced tomatoes into the pot, then stir to combine. Increase burner heat to bring soup to a simmer.
- Stir in the fresh 20 ounces cheese tortellini and cook for 3-4 minutes *If you're using frozen, cook according to the directions on the package.
- Just before serving, stir in 6 cups baby spinach and cook until it wilts. You can do this one or two handfuls at a time, if that fits better in your Dutch oven.
- Taste and season with ½ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper and ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper as desired. Divide the soup into bowls and if desired, garnish with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley.
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or other heavy-bottomed pot, 6 quarts or larger.
Notes
- If you can't find fresh tortellini, frozen works but it may take a little longer to cook.
Nutrition
2026 Update: This recipe is still a favorite of ours! It's been updated to simplify the cooking instructions and include extra cooking tips. We hope you love it as much as we do!
Love the lighter tortellini soup. I added carrots and celery, basil at the end, otherwise followed recipe. Garnished with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
So glad you enjoyed it, Kim!
ever since I tried it with my wife it’s been her favorite meal.
Love hearing that, it’s a keeper! 😊 – Jennifer, Cook at Home Mom Team
I am not much of a soup person, but this is a stunner. I absolutely love this soup. It is super easy to make, and the leftovers are even better than the day you make it.
I am so happy to hear you loved this Lori! Thank you for your feedback ❤️
LOVE THIS SOUP! EASY TO FIX AND VERY FILLING
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for your feedback ❤️
Fast easy and excellent!
I would definitely put this up there in my top 3 favorite soups. Putting this one in my winter rotation. Perfect!!!
delicious and easy
Hi there,
Do you know how many grams, ounces, or cups makes a serving?
Hi Deanna! One serving of this sausage tortellini soup is approximately 2 to 2.5 cups, which makes a nice hearty bowl. Hope that helps!
This came together so easily, and it’s delicious! The only change I made was to add more broth, as I had a bit more sausage and tortellini.
Hey Tracy! I love that you made it work perfectly for your ingredients—adding extra broth was a smart move! So glad it came together easily and tasted delicious. Thanks for sharing!
amazing
i am leaving out the tortellini less carbs. meets my type 2 diet. add more tomatoes diced with basil.
I have been making this soup for many years now and it’s always perfect. I’ve tried many other recipes but this is by far the best. I always have to double it to give to various family and friends. You cannot go wrong with this soup. A real crowd pleaser!!! Thank you for this great recipe!
I couldn’t be happier that you love this recipe so much! Thank you so much for sharing about your experience making the soup! 🙂 -Laura
Delicious and easy to make. I used 8 oz each of sausage and shelf stable torteiilni,and a one quart carton of chicken broth. I garnished with fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese. Will definitely make this again. Thanks.
Hi Yvonne, I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe & found it so easy to make! Thanks for the lovely feedback! -Laura
This recipe has become a family favorite. It easy and tasty, especially when I use my homemade stock. I use good Italian sausage and add an extra clove or two of garlic depending on their size. I sometimes substitute kale for the spinach.
I do have a question on the nutrition info since I have a weightlifter and a diabetic at home. It seems like 4 grams of carbohydrates per serving is too low given the tortellini. The macros do add up. Am I missing something?
Hi Mike! I’m so glad your family enjoys this recipe so much! 🙂 Thank you for sharing this lovely feedback. As far as the nutrition information, I use a plugin to calculate the nutrition information per serving, and it will vary based on the ingredients you use in your home. If it doesn’t seem to line up with the nutrition info provided for the tortellini you use, you may need to do the calculation manually. I wish I had a better answer than that! -Laura
Great recipe. It’s so easy to make and my family loves it!
Hi Amy, I’m so thrilled to hear that your family enjoys this recipe! Thank you for sharing! -Laura
My daughter is vegetarian, otherwise I’d follow recipe as it was written. (Onion garlic etc..)
I browned Beyond sausage (spicy has more flavor, but not spicy at all)
Added 1 sliced zucchini
I used veggie stock.
Tucked the rind of parmesan cheese.
Half spinach half baby kale
Fresh chopped basil on top with shredded parmesan
Hi Kimmi, I love the changes you made to make it fit your daughter’s dietary restrictions. Glad y’all enjoyed it! -Laura
I rarely follow a recipe closely but the only substitution I made was a can of Fire-Roasted tomatoes instead of Stewed. Easy, fast, and delicious soup. Thanks!
Hi Carla, Thank you so much for your kind words! I love the idea of using fire roasted tomatoes – that sounds like a lovely swap! -Laura
Do you know the full nutrition info on this I need to know the protein value
Hi Shelley! I just ran it through the nutrition calculator — all the information is now listed in the recipe card! Thanks for reminding me. -Laura
I can’t believe you got to meet Mr. Rana! I buy those ravioli all the time. I will pick up the tortellini and make this soup soon!
Hi Melissa! That was the coolest thing I got to do in Italy, by far!! Hope you love the tortellini soup! -Laura