This sausage and tortellini soup is the perfect cozy comfort food for a chilly evening… or any time you're craving tender filled pasta enveloped in a tomato-y broth and finished with cream, Parmesan, and spinach.
So, every night...right?
This soup has been made many times over the past several months, as I wanted to get it absolutely perfect before sharing it!
Even with it making a weekly appearance on the menu, my husband could not get enough, and I had to specifically ask him to leave leftovers so I could see how the soup stores and reheats (a very important step in the recipe development process).
So as you can see, it's winning rave reviews in my kitchen, and I know your family will love it just as much as we do!
Why You'll Love It:
- Simply delicious. If you love the sounds of tomato basil soup with cheesy tortellini and sausage crumbles - this is the soup for you.
- Perfect for the whole family. If you keep the spice level low by using mild Italian sausage, this hearty and creamy soup will satisfy everyone at the table!
- Budget-friendly. Sausage and tortellini are two budget staples that stretch your dollar! Use homemade marinara sauce for extra cost savings.
Ingredients
Key Ingredients:
- Sausage: Use either ground Italian sausage OR open the casings and crumble the meat inside classic sausages. We like to use mild, but you can use spicy Italian sausage if you like it hot!
- Chicken broth: You can use store-bought, bouillon, concentrate, or homemade chicken stock. Just remember to adjust the salt to taste, as all of these options have variable levels of added salt and can sway the soup in one direction or another.
- Marinara sauce: We use and highly recommend a high-quality jarred marinara sauce like Rao's or Mutti. Homemade marinara sauce can be used too!
- Tortellini: Use frozen or refrigerated tortellini. I prefer using frozen as it doesn't take much longer to cook, but it is easy to store and keep on hand at all times. We prefer cheese-filled tortellini and use gluten-free when we can find it!
- Heavy cream: We add some near the end to make the soup creamy. It's delicious!
- Parmesan cheese: This adds the perfect cheesy/nutty flavor.
- Fresh spinach: A few handfuls added to the soup at the end give it flecks of bright green color and the perfect balance of flavor.
How to Make Sausage and Tortellini Soup
This tortellini soup recipe is thick, comforting, and packed with flavor. In short, it's the perfect bowl of soup for a chilly evening! Serve it with some crusty bread, a green salad, a glass of white wine, or enjoy it just as is. It's sure become one of your favorite soup recipes.
- Brown the sausage. Remove the casings from 1 pound of Italian sausages, break them into pieces, and add them to a large soup pot (or Dutch oven). Cook over medium heat, crumbling the pieces with the bottom of a wooden spoon, until cooked through. Drain off all excess grease.
- Add the aromatics. Add chopped onion and minced garlic to the drained meat, and cook for a few minutes, until the onion is semi-translucent and the garlic is fragrant. Be sure to stir often to avoid burning the garlic!
- The soup base. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Then, add the marinara sauce, tomato paste, salt, black pepper, and dried seasonings.
- Simmer. Increase to medium-high heat and bring the soup to a low boil. Once a low boil is reached, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes.
Finishing the Soup
- Make it creamy. Stir in ½ cup of heavy cream and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the soup thickens slightly.
- Add the tortellini. Pour the tortellini into the soup and cook for another 3-6 minutes, or until the tortellini is cooked through. Note: Fresh tortellini takes less time than frozen.
- Finishing up. Add several handfuls of fresh baby spinach, parmesan cheese, and chopped fresh basil. Stir it in just until the spinach wilts. Taste the soup and adjust salt, pepper, and other ingredients as needed.
- Serve and enjoy. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with additional parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and red pepper flakes (if desired).
What about wine?
I love adding a splash of red wine to soups and stews, but when I tested this recipe with wine, we weren't impressed. Well, at first it was delicious as usual, but the leftovers the next day were extra mushy and had a weird flavor.
After testing multiple rounds of this recipe, we determined that the acidity of the wine was breaking down the tortellini and altering the flavor of the soup. Every other batch was fine!
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Brown the sausage as directed in the recipe, then drain all grease. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Transfer the browned meat mixture to the insert of a slow cooker.
- Add 4 ½ cups of chicken broth, a jar of marinara sauce, tomato paste, and dried seasonings.
- Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours, or on HIGH for 2-2 ½ hours.
- 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the heavy cream.
- 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the tortellini.
- Once the cooking time is up, add the baby spinach, parmesan cheese, and fresh basil. Stir until the spinach wilts. Taste and adjust as needed.
- Serve and enjoy!
If you loved this recipe for Sausage and Tortellini Soup with Spinach, let me know by leaving a 5-star review in the recipe card or comment below! You can also tag me on Instagram @dashfordinner.
Sausage and Tortellini Soup with Spinach
This sausage and tortellini soup is the perfect cozy comfort food. It features tender pasta, a rich tomato base, and fresh spinach.
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Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 723kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground mild Italian sausage (casings removed, if using whole sausage)
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 6 cups chicken broth low sodium
- 24-26 ounces jarred marinara sauce we use Rao's (or about 3 cups homemade marinara)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste double-concentrated preferred
- 1-1 ½ teaspoons salt more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 18 ounces fresh tortellini or frozen (500-600g)
- 1 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
- 3 cups baby spinach 2-3 heaping handfuls
- ¼ cup fresh chopped basil or 1 teaspoon dried, added before simmering
Instructions
- Add the ground sausage to a large pot or Dutch oven and brown over medium heat. Crumble the meat with the bottom of a wooden spoon as you go, breaking it into small pieces.
- Once the sausage is brown and no pink remains, drain off the excess grease. Dab the pot with a paper towel to remove any that remains.
- Add the chopped onion and garlic to the pot along with the meat. Stir and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften and the garlic is fragrant.
- Immediately pour in the chicken broth and jar of marinara sauce, using the bottom of your wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add in the tomato paste, salt, black pepper, parsley, oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes. If using fresh basil, wait until the end of the cooking time; if using dried basil, add it at this time along with the other seasonings. Stir well.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the liquid to a high simmer (or low boil).
- Once a low boil is reached, leave the lid off of the pot and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. This helps to reduce the liquid level, concentrate the flavor, and activate the dried herbs.
- After the simmering time is up, add the heavy cream and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until thickened slightly.
- Add the fresh tortellini and cook for another 3-6 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and cooked all the way through.
- Stir in the parmesan cheese until melted, then add the baby spinach and fresh basil. Stir until the spinach wilts from the heat (it shouldn't take long).
- Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, parmesan, or herbs as desired.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with additional shredded parmesan and fresh basil. Enjoy!
Did you try this recipe?Tag me at @dashfordinner and share your photos!
Notes
Storage: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Reheat portions as needed in the microwave or stovetop.
With wine: We tested this recipe with red wine, and while it did taste great on the first day of serving, the acidity caused issues during storage, and the soup became “stale” tasting. We don’t recommend adding wine unless you plan on eating it all at once.
With ground beef: This recipe works with ground beef, too; just add 1-1 ½ teaspoons of Italian seasoning to compensate for the added herbs and spices in sausage.
With ground chicken or turkey: Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil during browning to prevent sticking, and add 1 ½ teaspoons of Italian seasoning.
Nutrition
Calories: 723kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 131mg | Sodium: 3266mg | Potassium: 797mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2501IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 348mg | Iron: 5mg
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Dorothy Bigelow says
This soup is so cozy and deliciious! It's the perfect comfort food. It's easy enough for weeknights, but impressive enough for guests (especially when served with some good bread and wine!).