Sausage Tortellini Soup – The Stay At Home Chef

Sausage Tortellini Soup is one of our favorite, weeknight go-to recipes. Made in one pot for easy cleanup and ready in only 45 minutes! This cozy, comforting soup has a rich and creamy broth and is loaded with sausage, fire-roasted tomatoes, and cheesy tortellini. Top it all off with fresh basil and parmesan cheese.

For more delicious Italian soups, try our 30 minute gnocchi soup too.

This sausage tortellini soup is one of the easiest soups you could make! Once you brown the sausage and sauté the onions and garlic, just dump the rest of the ingredients in and let it simmer. You only need one pot and simple ingredients, which means easy cleanup with minimal mess in your kitchen.

Ingredient Notes

• Ground Pork Sausage: You can use mild or hot Italian sausage to add a mild kick. Breakfast sausage can also work if you want something a little sweet. You can also use ground chicken sausage or a plant-based ground sausage alternative.
• Onion: Use a yellow or white onion. Dice it into small pieces.
• Garlic: Freshly minced garlic provides the best flavor, but jarred minced garlic works in a pinch.
• Chicken Broth: Using a low-sodium option allows you to best control the flavor—it’s a great chef tip.
• Half and Half: Makes the soup extra creamy without being too heavy. If you prefer a lighter soup, you could substitute whole milk but it will be thinner. You could also go all out and use heavy cream.
• Sour Cream: This along with the heavy cream makes the sauce super rich and creamy.
• Diced Tomatoes: Fire-roasted diced tomatoes add even more flavor.
• Tortellini: You can use fresh, packaged tortellini pasta or frozen.
• Fresh Basil: Freshly chop your basil leaves or slice into ribbons. Stack several fresh basil leaves on top of each other, then roll the bunch lengthwise and cut it into slices and voilà—perfect basil strips.

Tortellini Options

You’ve got several options when it comes to tortellini. We recommend a cheese-filled tortellini, but you can always go with a meat-filled one as well.

Fresh Tortellini: Found in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores, fresh tortellini cooks quickly, usually in about 3-4 minutes. It’s a great option if you want the best flavor and quickest cooking time.

Frozen Tortellini: Frozen tortellini is convenient, easy to store, and works well in this soup. It may take an extra minute or two to cook, but it holds up well in the broth without getting mushy.

Dried Tortellini: You’ll typically find dried tortellini in the pasta aisle. It takes the longest to cook, usually around 10-12 minutes. If using dried tortellini, you may need to add a bit more broth to the soup to help out with the longer cooking time.

Add Veggies

Meatless Option: Swap the Italian sausage for plant-based sausage or a mix of minced mushrooms, zucchini, and spinach. You can use vegetable broth instead of beef broth.

Extra Veggies: Sneak in extra nutrition by adding diced carrots with the onions. Add chopped kale during the last 5 to 7 minutes of cooking, or add a couple of large handfuls of baby spinach during the last 2 minutes of cooking.

Serving Suggestions

Want to make it pretty? Ladle the soup into bowls and top each one with a generous amount of parmesan cheese. The heat from the soup will gently melt the cheese, creating a luscious, gooey layer with every bite. Finish with fresh basil ribbons or even freshly chopped parsley.

Need some suggestions for sides? It’s a meal on its own, but it also goes great with garlic bread or homemade breadsticks to soak up the broth. For something a little lighter, a classic Caesar salad or a simple arugula salad are both great options.