This creamy sausage tortellini soup is everything I want on a cold night.
Italian sausage, cheese tortellini, and kale simmered in a rich tomato broth, finished with parmesan and just enough cream to make it creamy.
It all comes together in one pot in about 35 minutes, and it tastes like you spent way more time on it than you actually did.
Love creamy soups? Try creamy chicken and wild rice soup or sausage gnocchi soup next.
An Easy, One Pot Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup
This is a creamy, one pot sausage tortellini soup you can have on the table in about 35 minutes, and it was built on a flavor base I already knew works. If you’ve made my Zuppa Toscana, this is going to taste familiar in the best way.
I used that recipe as my starting point because it’s so easy and everyone loves the flavor, then added tomato paste and crushed tomatoes for richness, swapped in tortellini instead of potatoes, and finished it with cream and parmesan so it’s genuinely creamy, without being too rich and heavy.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Yellow onion and garlic: the aromatic base the whole soup builds on.
- Italian sausage: use hot or regular depending on how much spice you want.
- Tomato paste and crushed tomatoes: for richness, plus that deeper, cozy color.
- Chicken broth or bone broth: the base of the soup.
- Refrigerated cheese tortellini: what makes this feel like a real dinner without a lot of work. I also tested this with a gluten-free option and it was great.
- Kale: stemmed and chopped. It holds up in well the soup.
- Parmesan cheese: freshly grated if you can. It melts into the broth and adds a lot of savory depth.
- Cream: heavy cream for the richest result, half and half for something lighter, or my cashew cream for dairy free.
- Cornstarch or tapioca starch: whisked with a little cold water into a slurry. I tested this without cornstarch and it wasn’t the same. It thickens the broth and gives you that creamy, cling to the spoon texture.
If you love this creamy sausage combo, my creamy chicken sausage pasta is worth trying next.
How to make creamy sausage tortellini soup
Step 1. Brown the sausage: Cook the onion until soft, then brown the Italian sausage and stir in the garlic.
Step 2. Bloom the tomato paste: Stir in the seasonings and tomato paste and let it darken and caramelize on the bottom of the pot. Don’t rush this step, it’s where a lot of the flavor comes from.
Step 3. Simmer the broth, then add the tortellini: Pour in the crushed tomatoes and broth and simmer until the flavors come together, then add the tortellini and cook until just tender.
Step 4. Stir in the parmesan, kale, and cream: Lower the heat and stir them in until the kale wilts and the soup looks creamy.
Step 5. Thicken and serve: Whisk in the cornstarch slurry and simmer until thickened. Ladle into bowls and top with parmesan and parsley. This is even better with warm sourdough rolls for dipping.
Storage and Reheating Tips
Store: Let the soup cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. The tortellini will continue to absorb the broth, so the soup will thicken as it sits.
Reheat: Warm it gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat or microwave individual portions until heated through. Add a splash of broth or cream to loosen the soup as needed.
Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing the finished soup because the tortellini can become soft and the cream may separate. To make it freezer-friendly, prepare the soup through the broth step, then freeze the base for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and add the tortellini, Parmesan, kale, cream, and cornstarch slurry while reheating.
More Soup Recipes to Try
Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 small yellow onion peeled and diced
- 1 lb hot or regular Italian sausage
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth or bone broth
- 14 to 16 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 4 cups kale stemmed and chopped
- 1/2 cup heavy cream half and half, or cashew cream
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch or tapioca starch
- Parmesan cheese and parsley for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. Cook the onion until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.1 Tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil, 1 small yellow onion
- Add the Italian sausage and cook, breaking it into small pieces, until browned and cooked through. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.1 lb hot or regular Italian sausage, 3 cloves garlic
- Stir in the Italian seasoning, salt, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste darkens slightly and begins to caramelize on the bottom of the pot.2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes and broth, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes, 4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- Add the tortellini and simmer according to package directions, usually 3 to 4 minutes, until just tender.14 to 16 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini
- Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the parmesan cheese, kale, and cream, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the kale is wilted and the soup is creamy. Taste and adjust salt or red pepper flakes as needed.1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, 4 cups kale, 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Whisk the cornstarch with 1 Tablespoon of cold water until smooth. Stir the slurry into the soup and simmer gently for 1 to 2 minutes until thickened. Add a second batch of slurry if you prefer a thicker soup.1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- Ladle into bowls and top with parmesan cheese and parsley.Parmesan cheese and parsley
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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