This Tortellini Soup has a creamy tomato broth with enticing bites of cheese tortellini, amplified by spicy Italian sausage and a blend of fresh vegetables and spices. A quick and easy meal, made entirely in one pot. Perfect for those busy weeknights.
Nothing says comfort food more than a big bowl of pasta or soup. We have combined both of those dishes to make the ULTIMATE comfort food, tortellini soup!
Spicy Italian sausage is romanced by the bright, creamy, tomato broth and seasoned to perfection. Don’t forget the exquisite bites of cheesy tortellini – my favourite part. A blend of fabulous ingredients coming together to make one fantastic soup. Made entirely in one pot and bursting with bold Italian flavor, this soup is incredibly easy to make and sure to satisfy.
What is Tortellini?
Tortellini are ring-shaped pasta. They start off as small squares, stuffed with meat or cheese and then rolled and formed into the small ring shapes. They are sometimes referred to as “navel shaped”, hence their alternative name of “belly button.” Tortellini are an awesome item to keep on hand in your pantry as they are easy to cook and extremely versatile.
Tortellini VS Tortelloni & Ravioli
Tortellini is the smaller pasta of the two, they are typically stuffed with a meat filling and are generally served in broth or cream sauce.
Whereas, tortelloni are larger and have a milder tasting filling, typically a blend of different cheese or vegetarian filling.
Ravioli is another form of stuffed pasta. It is two layers of pasta that form a square or rectangular, pillow-like shape, and then are stuffed and formed. Whereas tortellini is folded into more of a ring shape similar to a dumpling.
Ingredients
Keep scrolling down to the recipe card for a list of full ingredient amounts and instructions or click the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of the page!
- Olive Oil – You can substitute for vegetable oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil or avocado oil.
- Sausage – I used mild Italian sausage, casings removed. Sometimes you can find Italian sausage in your grocery stores with the casings already removed.
- Veggies – Onion, carrots and celery, a must for any soup.
- Garlic – Fresh is best! Minced.
- Italian Seasoning – Made up of oregano, rosemary, thyme and basil. If you don’t have Italian seasoning you can use a mix of any of the above.
- Salt and Pepper – To taste.
- Flour – I used all purpose to thicken the soup, this is totally optional.
- Broth – I used a no sodium added chicken broth but vegetable broth will work as well.
- Tomatoes – I used a can of fire roasted tomatoes for a nice smoky flavor.
- Tomato Passata – Passata is a tomato purée – thick liquid made by cooking and straining tomatoes. I used a jar of store bought. Feel free to make your own at home!
- Tortellini – I used cheese tortellini, you can use your favourite!
- Half and Half – You can replace half and half with a combination of milk and butter. One cup of half and half can be substituted with one tablespoon of melted butter plus enough milk to equal one cup, for example.
- Spinach – Fresh, chopped.
How To Make Tortellini Soup
- Cook Sausage and Vegetables – Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage (casings removed) and cook until browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon into small pieces. Add the onion, carrot, celery to the skillet and cook until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally.
- Season – Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to the pot and stir. Cook for 30 seconds until garlic is fragrant, stirring to prevent it from burning.
- Make the Base – Sprinkle the flour over everything and stir. Cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Gradually add in the chicken broth, then add the fire roasted tomatoes and tomato passata. Continue cooking until soup comes to a boil then reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.
- Finish – Stir in the cheese tortellini and half and half. Cook until the tortellini is al dente. Stir in the spinach and cook for a couple more minutes.
- Garnish and Serve – Garnish with parmesan cheese, basil and serve.
How to Serve
I served my tortellini soup hot with a side of warm, crusty bread. Paired with a garlic bread, garlic cheese bread or even a grilled cheese for dunking would be incredible! You can also add more ingredients into your soup to amplify the flavors – try these!
- Roasted red peppers
- Marinated artichoke hearts
- Beans
- Olives
- Cured Meat
- Cubes of cheese.
However you serve this dish, it is sure to give you that true Italian comfort food feel.
Can I Make This in Advance?
You can! Stop cooking the soup before adding in the tortellini. Adding in the tortellini before freezing can cause your pasta to come out mushy. Completely cool your soup and place in a freezer bag or container. Make sure it is sealed tightly before freezing. At a later date, thaw your soup in the fridge and then reheat on the stove top and continue on to steps 4 and 5.
How to Store Leftover Soup
Store your leftover tortellini soup in an airtight container in the fridge. This will allow your leftovers to keep for 3-5 days.
See above for freezing notes. Stored in an airtight shallow container, this dish will last 3-4 months in the freezer.
To reheat your leftover tortellini soup, pop it in the microwave or back on the stove top until heated through.
Did You Like This Recipe? Try These!
- Italian Meatball Soup
- Lemon Rice and Chicken Soup
- Minestrone Soup
- Cheesy Beef Tortellini Enchilada Casserole
- Sausage Tortellini Soup
- Egg Roll Soup
- Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- Easy Lentil Soup
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Easy Hamburger Soup
- Sausage and Bean Soup
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Easy Tortellini Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb Italian sausage casings removed
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 medium carrot chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 14.5 oz fire roasted tomatoes
- 2 cups tomato passata
- 14 oz cheese tortellini
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 cup fresh spinach chopped
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage (casings removed) and cook until browned, braking it up with a wooden spoon into small pieces, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the onion, carrot, celery to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to the pot and stir. Cook for 30 seconds until the garlic is fragrant, stirring to prevent it from burning.
- Sprinkle the flour over everything and stir. Cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Gradually add in the chicken broth, then add the fire roasted tomatoes and tomato passata. Continue cooking until the soup comes a boil then reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the cheese tortellini and half and half. Cook for 10 more minutes or until the tortellini is al dente. Stir in the spinach and cook for a couple more minutes.
- Garnish with parmesan cheese, basil and serve.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Store your leftover tortellini soup in an airtight container in the fridge. This will allow your leftovers to keep for 3-5 days.
- To reheat your leftover soup, pop it in the microwave or back on the stove top until heated through.
Soleil Noor says
Jo, if you have the meat from the sausage and also the cheese tortellini, I really dont think the half and half is necessary, or garnishing with more parmesan….but that’s just me.
I make a minestrone with LOTS of vegetables, add a can of red kidney beans and then a bag of spinach and cheese tortellini. Its perfect and not heavy at all.
jo says
The half and half will just add some creaminess to the soup, but yes, you can omit if if you wish.
Genie Burns says
Could you substitute a good quality tomato sauce for the Passata? I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in a store near me.
Jo Cooks Team 2 says
Certainly!