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This Tortellini Soup recipe has sweet Italian sausage, fresh cheese tortellini, and leafy green spinach in a rich tomato broth. Finished off with a crispy, cheesy crostini, this is definitely not your run-of-the-mill tomato soup!
My Sausage Tortellini Soup is a delicious meal on its own, but you can pair it with some garlic bread and a copycat Olive Garden Salad and add a few more guests to dinner.
Then try my 7 Can Soup recipe next!
The Best Tortellini Soup Recipe
Everyone loves my tortellini soup! It’s like your favorite pasta and sauce in a delicious creamy soup. The spinach, tomatoes, sausage, and pasta are so delicious together and really make this soup a complete meal!
- Rich flavors of tomato, sausage and cheese: I have always been a fan of tomato soup. I love the creaminess, rich tomato flavor, and brightness of the tomatoes. This creamy Tortellini soup with sausage highlights that tomato-y goodness while incorporating savory sausage and tender, cheesy pasta.
- Hearty, filling main course: A lot of people like to serve soup as part of a meal, typically the first course. But here we savor soup as our main course. It’s got everything you need – meat, veggies, and this one even has yummy, cheesy pasta.
- Simple and quick: It’s super simple to make in just a few steps and it’s ready in about 40 minutes. Of course, the longer you let it simmer, the better the flavor. Just make sure not to add the tortellini and spinach until just before you’re ready to eat, so they don’t overcook.
- Instant upgrades: I love to sprinkle a little fresh grated Parmesan cheese on top for even more flavor. I love this soup as is, but if you love a creamier soup, stir a cup of heavy cream when you add the tortellini.
What’s in Tortellini Soup?
- Italian Sausage – You need a pound of ground sausage, which you can buy in a package like other ground meat, or as links and just remove from the casing. I like using a mild Italian sausage.
- Onion – Chopped white onion adds a nice bite when cooked with the sausage.
- Garlic – I like lots of garlic with my Italian dishes so I used a whole tablespoon of minced garlic, which is about 3-4 cloves garlic. Feel free to cut it back a little.
- Crushed Tomatoes – San Marzano are the best tomatoes when it comes to canned varieties. If you don’t have crushed tomatoes, 3 ½ cups of tomato sauce would also work.
- Vegetable Broth – Low sodium Chicken broth or beef broth works too, but will alter the flavor a little bit.
- Basil – a handful of fresh basil adds a lovely flavor and aroma.
- Salt and Pepper – to taste.
- Cheese Tortellini – One small package of refrigerated tortellini. It’s usually found where the lunch meat and cheeses are found. Frozen or dried pasta will also work, you just may need to add cooking time.
- Fresh Spinach – I used two cups of fresh baby spinach, but you can use as much as you like. Kale is a great substitution.
How To Make Tortellini Soup
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
I love when I can whip up a super hearty and delicious soup that requires very minimal effort and is ready in less than an hour. Makes me feel good about feeding my family something delicious and comforting, and that has some veggies too.
- Cook the Italian sausage. Heat some olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Saute chopped onions for a few minutes, then add a pound of Italian Sausage and some minced garlic. I use mild, but you could use spicy if your family likes that. Cook until the sausage is no longer pink. Sometimes I’ll add some Italian seasoning, oregano, or a bay leaf for more flavor.
- Make the soup base. Add a large can of crushed tomatoes, vegetable or chicken stock, fresh basil, and a bit of salt. I like to add a pinch of sugar to combat the acidic tomatoes as well, but that’s a personal choice. Bring the soup to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about 20-30 minutes.
- Cook the tortellini. Add tortellini to the pot and cook for a few minutes before adding the spinach. The pasta will cook fairly quickly, as will the spinach, so be careful not to overcook – it will become mushy.
- Add spinach. Add the spinach, cover and turn off the heat. Once the spinach is slightly wilted, serve the soup. I recommend adding the cheese crouton (described below).
Serving Suggestion
Top your soup with a cheesy, crispy crouton!
This step is completely optional, but it really adds a nice texture to your soup and makes a beautiful presentation.
- Slice up a French baguette, butter it and grill in a hot skillet.
- Top with parmesan cheese and as the bottom side cooks, the cheese will melt. If it’s not melting, cover with a lid for 30 seconds.
- Transfer to a plate and add a piece to each bowl when serving, so it can soak up all the tomato goodness.
Cooking Variations
Can you double the recipe? Sure! You’ll want to make sure you have a 7-quart pot so it’s big enough to hold the soup.
Make it in a Slow Cooker: First, saute the sausage in a skillet on the stovetop with diced onion and garlic and drain the grease. Add the sausage, tomatoes, broth, and seasonings to the crockpot and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours. Add the tortellini, cover and cook for 30 minutes or until the tortellini is soft and tender. Add the spinach and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
Make it in an Instant Pot: Saute the sausage, onions and garlic. Deglaze the pot with some of the broth, then stir in the rest of the broth and the tomatoes. Press cancel, close and seal the lid, then pressure cook for 5 minutes. Natural release for 5 minutes, then do a quick release for the remaining pressure. Press “saute” to bring to a boil then add the tortellini and cook for 5 minutes, then add the spinach and mix until it wilts. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
How To Store Leftovers
Storage: Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat. Keep in mind that the tortellini may continue to absorb the liquid and become slightly mushy when reheated.
If you plan to have a lot of leftovers, I recommend cooking the tortellini separately and just adding a little to each bowl. Store it in a separate container and reheat with the soup.
Freezing: Freeze the tomato soup with the sausage in a freezer bag or other freezer container for up to 3 months, then add fresh tortellini when you cook it. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in a pot on the stove.
Reheating: For best results, reheat in a saucepan on the stove. You can also reheat in the microwave.
Expert Tips
- Frozen or dried tortellini – You can use frozen or dried tortellini, but you will need to adjust the cooking time based on the package instructions.
- We don’t like Italian sausage – That’s totally fine! You can use ground beef, ground chicken, or no meat at all.
- We don’t like spinach – Leave it out! You do not need to add spinach to the soup if your family doesn’t like it. Likewise, if you love spinach, you could add as much as you like. Some will pour in a whole big bag from the produce department! You could also use kale.
- Add some heat – For a spicier soup, use spicy Italian sausage and add half a teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
- Add more veggies – When you saute the onions, add some carrots and celery too.
- Balance the acidity – If the tomatoes are a little too acidic, you can balance that with a pinch of sugar.
More Delicious Soup Recipes to Try
- Easy Beef & Macaroni Soup
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Homemade Chicken Soup
- Hamburger Soup
- Bacon and Bean Soup
- Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup Recipe
Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage & Spinach
Ingredients
Soup
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound ground Italian Sausage
- 1/2 cup diced onion about ½ medium sized onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- 32 ounces vegetable broth chicken works too
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 9 ounces refrigerated tortellini
- 2 cups packed fresh spinach
Crostini
- 6 Baguette slices (about ⅓ of a baguette)
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 2 tablespoons Freshly shredded Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
Soup
- Heat a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Heat vegetable oil and add diced onion. Saute until onions are beginning to softed; 3-4 minutes
- Crumble Italian Sausage and garlic with the onion. Cook until sausage is no longer pink; about 4-5 minutes. Drain any excess grease.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes, vegetable (or chicken) broth, basil, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Add tortellini and spinach and simmer for about 5-10 minutes, or until pasta is tender.
- Garnish with shredded Parmesan and serve with a cheesy crostini crouton.
Crostini
- Slice baguette into ½ inch thick slices. Butter one side and place butter side down in a hot skillet until golden brown. Flip bread slices over and sprinkle with Parmesan while the other side gets golden brown. Transfer to a plate and immediately cover loosely with foil if cheese has not completely melted.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
I’ve made this multiple times. It’s a show stealer every time. Almost everytime, people ask for the recipe. I sometimes used diced tomatoes in a pinch. And I add a teaspoon of chili flakes too
Awesome feedback Manny! Thank you so much for stopping by.
YUM! My family absolutely LOVES this amazing, filling soup! Thank you so much! I’ve made it for years and have also shared it with soooo many people! Just thought I’d share my honest review to you, Ms. Kristin and to people out there wondering about making this soup! DO IT!!!!! You and your tummy will be soooo happy you did! THANK YOU for the awesome recipes….they are all greatly appreciated!
You are so welcome Jen! Thank you so much for sharing the love.
Really enjoyed this recipe. I did add a little less than one tbs of sugar to cut acidity of tomatoes.
Thank you Janeen! Love the feedback, thanks for stopping by.
Fantastic recipe. It was delicious. I used San Marzano tomatoes and sausage from the meat counter at Whole Foods plus a pinch of sugar.
Nice! Awesome feedback Patrice! Thanks for stopping by.
Hi Kristin. I am going to make this yummy soup today but there is one little tweek I would do and what do you think? I would cook the tortellini separate and add at the end.
Yes you could certainly cook it separately and add it at the end. Enjoy!
Love this recipe! I have been using your recipe for quite a while and usually I don’t change it. Today I added a few things, 1 heaping teaspoon each of Better than Bouillon Italian Herb and Better than Bouillon Roasted Garlic, and used 2 tablespoons of Kirkland Pesto instead of the Basil. Oh my gosh I truly didn’t think this soup could taste better than your original recipe but it was a bomb. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
You are so welcome Pam! Thanks for the awesome feedback.
We LOVE this soup! I don’t change a thing. It has become my “go to” soup when someone is sick and I sign up for a meal train. Add a salad, bread & it’s perfect. My daughter and son-in-law love it so much she asked me to make it for her for a function at school where all the teachers are bringing soup. Does anyone know if I make it the day before for her, can she reheat and keep heated (on low) in the crockpot? Not sure how else it would work for her that day. Anyhow, thank you for this wonderful recipe which is pretty easy too (which is another thing I love about it)!
Hi Doris, The tortellini would get mushy if made the day before. So would the spinach. If you could keep those ingredients separate and then add them the day of, that would probably work.
What kind of Italian sausage is the best to use? Sweet, Mild? Thanks.
It depends on your preference. Both are delicious!
I just wanted to say thanks for the recipe. My spouse is out of town for work so me and my two sons made this. They are the harshest food critics, but this made for a fun activity for us to do together and they enjoyed the meal. So much the one that never eats asked for this meal again soon.
You are so welcome Jim! Awesome feedback, thanks for stopping by.
Thank you so much Will do a couple.
You are so welcome Col!
I have made different versions of this soup but by far your recipe is the best! So easy. I followed the recipe exactly but added a little more spinach (3cups) and some extra tortellini. Came out perfect and so flavorful. My family loved it and will be a regular meal in our home!!
Nice! Love your feedback Deanna, thanks for stopping by.
“What did you do to this soup?! Why is it so good?!” comments made during dinner lol.
Very flavorful, very delicious soup! I didn’t have fresh basil or even dried basil so I used Italian seasoning instead. Still came out delicious! Make sure to have bread to dip in this scrumptious broth!
Yes bread is a must! Glad you enjoyed the soup – it’s a huge favorite!
I was introduced to this recipe in 2015 and still make it because I crave it so often.
It’s such a satisfying soup that makes your belly so happy when you finish eating.
Over the years, I found that after it’s been in the fridge overnight the soup is absorbed more by the tortellini so I always add an extra small can of crushed tomatoes and an extra bullion cube of broth. Plus, you get more to eat over a few days which I really like a lot. 🙂
Nice! Awesome feedback Bri! Thanks for stopping by.
I don’t usually take the time to review recipes, but this one is worth it. It was so yummy. I was making dinner for someone that requested pasta and I’m not a big fan of the traditional pasta dishes. My friend recommended this one and everyone was glad I listened and requested the recipe. I did add a splash of heavy cream and it added to the deliciousness.
Fantastic feedback Nikki! Thanks for stopping by.
Thanks to you I have been making this recipe for years! It’s so delicious, every one in my family of 5 loves this soup. I have to double for the instructions call for!
You are so welcome Leticia! Thanks for the awesome comment.
I love this. It’s so yummy & so easy
Thank you Doug!
I didn’t think my wife would be pleased with only soup for dinner. Wow. Not only did she enjoy it, she requested that I make more and freeze in small portions so she can have it whenever she wants. Made it exactly following the recipe. I liked it too.
Awesome feedback Dave! Thanks for stopping by to share.
I’ve made your soup quite a few times and love it. I’m thinking of making it for tomorrow night BUT I don’t have sausage and am suffering with a cold and am not well enough to go out. Would hamburger be alright to use and if not, what would you recommend? Honest opinion, because if that won’t work, I’ll wait a few days until I can go out. Thanks!
hi Suzanne, I think hamburger would be fine, or you could leave the meat out entirely. The flavor will be different, but I think it will still taste good – if you use spicy sausage, maybe add a little red pepper flakes to it. Hope you feel better soon!
I added some frozen peas and corn. Shared pot with a family member. We loved loved loved it.
That’s awesome Barbara! Thanks for stopping by.