In this post, we’ll show you how to make an incredibly creamy and delicious Italian sausage and tortellini soup. If you love pasta, soup and all things Italian-food, you will LOVE this recipe!
Why Italian Sausage & Tortellini Soup?
Although backyard grilling is our passion, sometimes we like to venture “off the grill” and cook something on our kitchen stove, and that’s exactly what we did with this recipe!
In our house, we absolutely love Italian food. Especially pasta! It’s definitely a staple in our weekly menu. We also love a good soup and we’re always on the hunt for new recipes, so when our family friend introduced us to this amazing dish that combines two of our favorites (soup AND pasta), we were hooked!
Italian sausage and tortellini soup is a simple and delicious combination of cheese stuffed tortellini pasta, ground Italian sausage, heavy cream, fresh veggies & spinach. It is hearty and savory, with the perfect creamy balance between pasta and soup. It can work as an appetizer or a meal of its own. It’s the perfect homemade soup for a chilly day, or any day! And the best part is, it’s so easy to make.
So let’s get to the recipe!
Ingredients for Creamy Italian Sausage & Tortellini Soup
These are simple ingredients you can pick up at your favorite local grocery store. You’ll find a full recipe card with measurements and nutritional information at the bottom of this post but here’s a quick look at what you’re going to need.
- Mild Italian pork sausage (ground)
- Carrots (diced)
- Onion (diced)
- Celery (diced)
- Garlic cloves (minced)
- Fresh spinach (chopped – or fresh baby spinach leaves work too!)
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Thyme seasoning
- Italian seasoning
- Chicken broth (chicken stock, beef broth or vegetable broth works too!)
- Heavy Cream
- Cheese stuffed tortellini
- Olive Oil
How to Make Creamy Italian Sausage & Tortellini Soup
Dice carrots, onion and celery and put into a large pot with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil.
Add thyme and Italian seasonings and sauté veggies on medium-high heat for 10 minutes (add the minced garlic during the last 5 minutes of sautéing).
Remove veggies from heat and set aside.
In the same large pot, brown mild Italian sausage until fully cooked. Break the sausage apart into small chunks while cooking (NOTE: straining the excess fat from the sausage is optional. We chose NOT to strain it, for added flavor).
Add sautéed veggies and garlic to the cooked sausage.
Pour chicken broth over the sausage and veggies and bring to a boil. Boil until veggies are tender but be careful not to let the broth reduce too much.
Bring heat down to low.
Add cheese stuffed tortellini (cooked), heavy cream and spinach and heat for 3-5 minutes on low to medium heat (do not bring to a boil). (NOTE: if you buy frozen instead of fresh cheese tortellini, you will need to cook it separately before adding to the soup).
Add salt and pepper and stir.
Let cool for a few minutes and serve.
Store leftover soup in the refrigerator in an airtight container and eat within 3-4 days. You can also store leftovers in a freezer bag or freezer container.
What to Expect from this Recipe
This hearty soup is creamy and full of savory Italian flavor! The cheese stuffed fresh tortellini are the perfect complement to the Italian sausage. The chopped onion, carrots and celery give it the perfect balance of textures and the heavy cream brings it all together into the best soup!
It’s a great appetizer but also plenty hearty enough to be a meal of its own. After all, it pretty much covers ALL the food groups in one bowl!
It’s restaurant quality, but easy enough to make in your own kitchen, which is a huge help on busy weeknights!
This creamy Italian sausage and cheesy tortellini soup is one of our family’s favorite soup recipes, and we know your whole family will love it too. It is quite literally the perfect bowl of soup. Give it a try and let us know what you think!
Make it Your Own
We love this soup just as it is, but here are some ways you can change it up and make it your own next time.
Spice it up!: If you like things spicy, try this recipe with hot Italian sausage to kick it top a notch!
Greens: If you’re not a fan of spinach, try using another green in its place. Some ideas are kale, Swiss chard, arugula, collard greens, fresh basil or even butter lettuce. Or you can always remove the greens completely!
Veggies: Try changing up the veggies for more variety. You can add anything you like and the options are endless, including sun dried tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini or squash to name a few. You and even add a little bit of tomato paste to give it a creamy tomato broth with even more depth of flavor.
Garnishes: You can garnish this delicious soup with shredded or grated parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes or any other seasoning you enjoy!
What to Serve with Italian Sausage & Tortellini Soup
If you want to make a full meal, here are some delicious recipes you can serve with this creamy soup.
This creamy soup would pair perfectly with our incredibly savory and juicy Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin. Give it a try for the perfect meal!
If you’re looking for a great side to serve with our creamy sausage & tortellini soup, try these incredible Skillet Green Beans with Lemon Sauce from Miz Helen’s Country Cottage.
For the perfect Italian dessert, you’ve got to try this Simple Tiramisu with Whipping Cream from Out of the Box Baking. It’s a family favorite!
Thanks for Stopping By!
That’s it for this post, friends! We hope you enjoy the savory flavors in this creamy Italian sausage tortellini soup recipe. This is one of our favorite recipes and we hope you love it too!
Why Not Pin Some Pics While You’re Here?
See this recipe at:
About the Man Behind the Grill
Zach Morrow was born and raised in Texas and has always had a passion for great barbecue. He’s at home behind the grill and loves to feed his friends and family home-cooked favorites as often as he can. He especially loves trying new things and is excited to produce recipes like this one for Backyard Texas Grill.
Creamy Italian Sausage & Tortellini Soup
This Italian Sausage & Tortellini Soup by Backyard Texas Grill is creamy and full of delicious Italian flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Mild Italian sausage (ground)
- 1 cup Carrots (diced)
- 1 cup Onion (diced)
- 1 cup Celery (diced)
- 2 Garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 cups Spinach (chopped)
- 1/2 tsp. Sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. Black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. Thyme seasoning
- 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 4 cups Chicken broth
- 1 cup Heavy whipping Cream
- 1 lb. Cheese stuffed tortellini
- 1 1/2 tbsp. Olive Oil
Instructions
- Dice carrots, onion and celery and put into a large pot with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Add thyme and Italian seasonings and sauté veggies on med-high heat for 10 minutes (add the minced garlic during the last 5 minutes of sautéing).
- Remove veggies from heat and set aside.
- In the same large pot, brown Italian sausage until fully cooked. Break the sausage apart into small chunks while cooking (NOTE: straining the sausage is optional. We chose NOT to strain it, for added flavor).
- Add sautéed veggies and garlic to the cooked sausage.
- Pour chicken broth over the sausage and veggies and bring to a boil. Boil until veggies are tender but be careful not to let the broth reduce too much.
- Bring heat down to low.
- Add cheese stuffed tortellini (cooked), heavy cream and spinach and heat for 5 minutes on low/medium heat (do not bring to a boil). (NOTE: if you buy frozen tortellini, you will need to cook it separately before adding to the soup).
- Add salt and pepper and stir.
- Let cool for a few minutes and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
7Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 709Total Fat: 56gSaturated Fat: 28gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 147mgSodium: 1771mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gProtein: 33g