Fast, tasty and cozy: What more could you want in a soup? This tortellini soup recipe checks all the boxes. It’s an easy soup recipe that cooks for only 20 minutes, so you can throw it together right before you’re ready to eat.
The rich tomato broth is warm and comforting, and the combination of hearty sausage, tender veggies and creamy cheese tortellini gives the soup a rustic Italian feel. Our recipe calls for turkey sausage and refrigerated tortellini, but it’s easy to customize based on your preferences (and what you have on hand).
Add a splash of heavy cream to give it a creamy consistency. Swap in kale instead of spinach. Or skip the meat and use vegetable broth to create a meatless version. No matter how you make it, you’ll love the combination of flavors and textures in this Italian-inspired soup.
Tortellini Soup Ingredients
- Tortellini: Most grocery stores carry cheese tortellini in the refrigerated section. If you can’t find it, look in the freezer section and adjust the cooking time as needed.
- Italian sausage: Any type of Italian sausage links work in this recipe. Use turkey or chicken sausage, or choose a spicy Italian sausage to give the soup a little kick.
- Chicken broth: Homemade chicken broth offers the best quality, but plenty of good store-bought chicken broth brands are available. Look for sodium-free or reduced-sodium chicken broth if you want better control over the salt level.
- Diced tomatoes: Along with the broth, the canned tomatoes create the base of the soup, so don’t drain the can, as you’ll want both the tomato chunks and the juice.
- Spinach: You can use mature or baby spinach, but we prefer the latter. Baby spinach saves prep time because the stems are still tender and you don’t have to remove them.
- Basil: Dried basil works in a pinch, but fresh herbs give the soup a lovely finish. Here’s how to cut fresh basil to create perfect ribbons.
Directions
Step 1: Cook the sausage
Crumble the sausage into a Dutch oven, and add the onion. Cook and stir over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink. Add the garlic, and cook for one minute longer.
Editor’s Tip: The sausage casings are edible, but we remove them to give the meat a crumbly texture.
Step 2: Add the liquid
Stir in the broth, water and tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil.
Editor’s Tip: To give the soup a richer character, substitute additional broth for the water.
Step 3: Simmer the tortellini
Add the tortellini, and return the mixture to a boil. Cook for five to eight minutes or until almost tender, stirring occasionally.
Step 4: Finish with the spinach
Reduce the heat, and add the spinach, basil, pepper and pepper flakes. Cook for two to three minutes longer or until the spinach is wilted and the tortellini are tender.
Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired.
Recipe Variations
- Use ravioli: Substitute ravioli for the tortellini. Check the package directions and adjust the cooking time as needed.
- Make it creamy: Thicken the soup with flour and heavy cream as we do in our creamy tortellini soup recipe.
- Skip the meat: Forget the meat and add vegetables like zucchini, mushrooms or a frozen blend to make veggie tortellini soup.
- Try another protein: Swap in another meat like ground turkey, chicken breasts or shredded rotisserie chicken for the Italian sausage. You can even use frozen meatballs to make meatball tortellini soup.
- Swap in a different green: Instead of spinach, use another type of green like kale to make cheese tortellini and kale soup. Swiss chard, mustard greens and collard greens all work well too.
How to Store Tortellini Soup
Store leftover tortellini soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheat the soup in a saucepan, stirring occasionally. Add broth as needed to restore the original consistency.
Can you freeze tortellini soup?
We don’t recommend freezing soup with tortellini, as the noodles will become soggy after thawing. However, you can freeze the soup if you prepare it without the pasta. Freeze the cooled soup in a freezer-safe container for up to six months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, and add the tortellini upon reheating.
Tortellini Soup Tips
What type of tortellini is best for a rustic Italian tortellini soup?
We use refrigerated cheese tortellini to make this soup. It cooks faster than frozen tortellini and tastes better than dried tortellini. If you prefer a brand that’s filled with meat, vegetables or herbs, feel free to use it in this recipe.
How do you thicken tortellini soup?
This rustic Italian tortellini soup recipe has a brothy consistency, but you can thicken the soup using any method you’d use to thicken sauce. Add flour after cooking the sausage, or adjust the consistency at the end with cornstarch. When working with cornstarch, the best way to avoid clumps is to create a slurry by mixing equal parts cornstarch and water. Whisk the slurry into the soup, and simmer the soup until it starts to thicken.
What do you serve with tortellini soup?
If you’re looking for a wonderful side, you can’t go wrong with crusty bread or a light side salad.
