Sausage Tortellini Soup (Easy, Creamy, Flavorful!)
Sausage Tortellini Soup is creamy and flavorful, loaded with Italian sausage, artichoke hearts, cheese tortellini, fresh baby spinach, and more for a hearty, comforting soup recipe that’s easy to make on the stove or in the crock pot!
With fall in full swing and progressively colder weather ahead, I believe that means we're officially in soup season! So to celebrate, today I'm sharing a creamy, dreamy, bursting-with-flavor favorite of ours: Sausage Tortellini Soup! And as a bonus, you can quickly whip up this recipe in a pot on the stove or let it slow cook the day away in the crockpot.
Ingredients
Sausage Tortellini Soup boasts varied textures and Italian-inspired flavors in a creamy broth. So what yummy ingredients are required to make it?
- Italian sausage. Sweet, spicy, or you could use half of each. Italian sausage can be purchased ground, in bulk, or encased as individual sausages. If using the individual sausages, remove and discard the casings before cooking the meat just like you would brown ground beef.
- Garlic. As I always say, the more, the merrier. 🙂
- Flour. To thicken the broth.
- Chicken broth. Or stock. The base for the soup's liquid. I like to use low-sodium to have more control over the saltiness of your Sausage Tortellini Soup, particularly since some of the other ingredients (like the Italian sausage and Parm) are already salty.
- Diced tomatoes. Undrained. I highly recommend fire-roasted for the deepest flavor. If you're not a fan of big tomato chunks in your soup, you can always opt for petite diced instead.
- Artichoke hearts. Canned in water and drained. Look for quartered so that they're already in soup-friendly, bite-sized pieces.
- Dried herbs + spices. Specifically Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Cheese tortellini. Fresh (refrigerated) or frozen will work. You could use dried tortellini as well, but you would likely need to add a bit more broth to compensate for evaporation due to a longer cooking time.
- Half-and-half. The secret to the creamy broth.
- Parmesan cheese. Freshly grated is recommended. Some will be melted into the soup for extra depth of flavor and some will be sprinkled on top of bowls for garnish.
- Fresh baby spinach. For a finishing touch of freshness.
How to Make Sausage Tortellini Soup
(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)
I'm going to share step-by-step process photos of making your Sausage Tortellini Soup on the stovetop. That being said, scroll down a bit for an overview of how to make it in the crockpot instead. 🙂
- In a large pot set over medium-high heat, brown the Italian sausage until cooked through, stirring in the garlic towards the end.
- Sprinkle the flour over the sausage and cook, while constantly stirring, for another minute.
- Stir in the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and seasonings. Increase the heat and bring to a boil.
- Stir in the tortellini, reduce the heat, and simmer until tender. It'll usually be around five minutes, but consult the directions on your particular bag of tortellini for a specific recommended cooking time.
- Add the half-and-half, Parmesan cheese, and baby spinach, stir to combine, and cook for another minute or two until the soup is heated through and the spinach is wilted. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary.
- Garnish with additional Parmesan and serve hot with crusty bread!
Slow Cooker Instructions
Making this Sausage Tortellini Soup in the crockpot allows you to start it in the morning and finish it in the evening with minimal effort.
- Brown the Italian sausage and garlic as directed, drain the grease, and stir in the flour.
- Transfer the cooked sausage to a large slow cooker and add the diced tomatoes, drained artichoke hearts, seasonings, and chicken broth.
- Stir to combine, cover, and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours (or HIGH for 2 to 3 hours).
- Stir in the tortellini, half-and-half, and grated Parmesan. Cover and cook on LOW for another hour (or on HIGH for 30 minutes), until the tortellini is tender.
- Add the spinach and put the lid back on for a few minutes until the spinach wilts.
- Stir to combine, adjusting the seasonings with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
Additions + Substitutions
It's easy to modify this Sausage Tortellini Soup recipe to adapt to your preferences or what you have in hand.
- Cook a small diced yellow onion along with the Italian sausage.
- Swap the Italian sausage for lean ground beef.
- Use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth.
- Exchange the half-and-half for whole milk for a lighter soup, or use heavy cream for added decadence.
- If you'd like to use kale instead of spinach, I recommend first removing any tough stems and chopping. Or you could opt to use more tender baby kale.
Storing Leftovers
Leftover Sausage Tortellini Soup may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Keep in mind that the tortellini will continue to absorb liquid as it sits. So upon reheating your soup, the tortellini will likely be a bit softer and a bit more broth may need to be added to compensate for what was absorbed.
Leftovers of this soup can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Again, be mindful that the texture of the tortellini will likely change and extra broth might be required upon thawing and reheating.
So are you ready to give this creamy, cozy, comforting, delicious Sausage Tortellini Soup a try?
I can probably think of a few more adjectives if you need further convincing... 😉
Or you can take my word for it that this soup recipe is not only easy to make, but it's positively loaded with flavor and the perfect dinner for warming up on a chilly fall or winter day!
More Cozy Soups
- 20-Minute Tortellini Lasagna Soup
- EASY Crock Pot Beef Stew
- Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
- Sausage, Kale + White Bean Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup {Olive Garden copycat}
Sausage Tortellini Soup (Easy, Creamy, Flavorful!)
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage, sweet, spicy, or half of each
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (14-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 to 10 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini, OR frozen and thawed
- 1 ½ cups half-and-half
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving
- 4 ounces fresh baby spinach
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, brown the Italian sausage until it is cooked through, stirring in the garlic for the final minute. Drain the grease. Sprinkle the flour over the sausage and cook, while stirring continuously, for another minute.
- Add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, artichoke hearts, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, and pepper. Stir to combine, increase the heat, and bring to a boil.
- Add the tortellini, reduce to a simmer, and cook for about five minutes until tender (consult the directions on your package of tortellini for exact cooking time).
- Stir in the half-and-half, Parmesan cheese, and baby spinach, and cook for another minute or two until the soup is heated through and the spinach is wilted. Adjust the seasonings, adding more salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately, garnished with additional Parmesan.
Notes
- Italian sausage can be purchased ground in bulk or encased as individual sausages. If using the individual sausages, remove and discard the casings before cooking the meat as you would brown ground beef.
- Cheese tortellini is sold in different sized packages, depending on whether you buy it fresh or frozen. A range of ounces is given in the ingredient list because there is flexibility on how much tortellini you add to this soup.
- If you end up using dried tortellini, you may need to add a bit more broth to compensate for evaporation due to a longer cooking time.
- Tortellini is done when it floats to the surface and registers an internal temperature of 165°F on an instant read thermometer.
- For a lighter option, whole milk may be substituted for the half-and-half. Or heavy cream can be used for added decadence.
- Baby spinach cooks down quite a bit, so feel free to double the amount for a soup that’s heavier in veggies. Or you can use kale instead of spinach, removing any tough stems and chopping leaves first.
SLOW COOKER DIRECTIONS:
1. Brown the Italian sausage and garlic as directed, drain the grease, and stir in the flour.
2. Transfer the cooked sausage to a large slow cooker and add the diced tomatoes, drained artichoke hearts, seasonings, and chicken broth.
3. Stir to combine, cover, and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours (or HIGH for 2 to 3 hours).
4. Stir in the tortellini, half-and-half, and grated Parmesan. Cover and cook on LOW for another hour (or on HIGH for 30 minutes), until the tortellini is tender.
5. Add the spinach and put the lid back on for a few minutes until the spinach wilts.
6. Stir to combine, adjusting the seasonings with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
My whole family agreed that this is our new favorite soup. Hearty and delicious!
This is seriously one of the best soups!! It's quick to make and packed with flavor!! It's going to be on repeat at our house this winter!
I had some Italian sausage in the freezer and this soup was the perfect use for it. Delicious! I left out the spinach from the pot and added it to some of our individual bowls when serving because I knew a couple of my picky kids would pick it out anyway.