This sausage tortellini soup is one of our all-time favorites. It's incredibly simple to make, plus it's hearty, comforting, and so flavorful! It's also versatile: make it creamy (or not), add more kale or omit it completely, or add more tortellini to make it more of a pasta dish and less of a soup. It's absolutely delicious (and easy) any way you make it!
This sausage tortellini soup is one of the first things we made with our new freezer cubes, and it freezes like a dream. It's hearty enough that it doesn't require a side dish, but it does go perfectly with a loaf of stuffed garlic bread or parmesan garlic butter biscuits.
Ingredients
- Ground Italian sausage: Buy it already ground or buy links and remove the sausage from its casings)
- Onion: A medium-sized sweet onion is what we prefer, but use whatever you've got
- Garlic: Is there any recipe that doesn't improve with a little (or a lot of) garlic?
- Dried basil & oregano: Make sure your herbs aren't stale, but if they are, don't worry too much. We add the herbs when the onions are sauteéd to help bring out their natural flavors and oils.
- 1 teaspoon aglio olio seasoning from Trader Joe's (optional): We use this seasoning on just about everything, and it's terrific in sausage tortellini soup! Don't worry if you don't have any, it's a suggestion more than anything and the soup will still be fantastic.
- 2 cups kale, chopped: This will cook down significantly, so add more if you'd prefer a lot of greens.
- Heavy cream (optional): Looking to cut down on fat and calories? You can skip the cream or just reduce it.
- Tortellini: We prefer using fresh tortellini from the refrigerated section, but frozen will work just fine.
- Chicken stock: Homemade is always best, but if you do go store-bought, opt for the low-sodium version so you can better control the amount of salt in the final dish. You can also sub this for vegetable stock if you prefer.
Instructions
There are two ways we prepare sausage tortellini soup: one is to just make the recipe and enjoy it immediately (or with some leftovers). The other is to make "soup starters" and freeze them for quick and easy dinners later. I'll show you how to make it both ways below:
Traditional Recipe Instructions:
- The first thing you'll need to do is to cook the sausage until almost no pink remains, then drain off most of the fat.
- Next you'll add the onions and seasonings, and sauté those together for about 5 minutes. Toss in the minced garlic and cook it for another minute or so.
- Now add the chopped kale and the chicken stock and give it a good stir. Heat it until it's at a low boil, then reduce the heat and simmer it for a little while so the flavors can meld.
- Next you'll add the tortellini and cook it until it's cooked to your liking (we prefer ours on the softer side).
- Now just taste and season the soup with salt and pepper, and you're done!
Freezer Cubes:
This is how I prefer to make this soup since it freezes really well. It's such a great feeling to know that I have an easy meal ready to go anytime I want!
- Follow the recipe through step 3.
- Make sure the soup has completely cooled (this is really important when you're freezing anything to help prevent ice crystals from forming). Then just ladle it into 6 1-cup freezer cubes (or 3 2-cup servings, or however it works best for you). Add just enough chicken stock to make sure it freezes into one solid cube.
- Cover and freeze the cubes overnight or until they're completely frozen solid, then either vacuum seal or transfer to freezer bags. Freeze them for up to 3 months (longer if they're vacuum-sealed).
- To serve, place a frozen cube along with 1 cup of chicken stock into a medium-sized pot on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally to break it up as it thaws. Once it's very hot and simmering, add the tortellini and simmer until they're soft and cooked to your liking. Add a small amount of cream, if desired, then taste and season. Serve immediately.
Variations
This sausage tortellini soup is so versatile! Here are a few ideas for ways to make it your own:
- Add more or less chicken stock: I'll often use less stock so that it's more of a tortellini pasta dish with a little broth (as shown in the images). If I want to stretch it to serve more people or I'm just in the mood for more of a soup, I'll add more stock. The recipe is very forgiving so play around with the amounts until it's exactly how you like it.
- Add more or less tortellini: This is the same idea as above, but instead of adjusting the amount of stock, you'll add more or less pasta. The end result is the same!
- Use your favorite kind of tortellini: We prefer cheese tortellini, but sausage lovers may want to double up. Any flavor would be delicious so choose your favorite!
- Add more or less kale: If you're looking to get more greens into your diet, you can easily double the amount of kale if you prefer.
- Omit the cream: Avoiding dairy or just want to cut down on fat and calories? Skip the cream entirely. Or if you're looking to up the creamy factor, add a little more! I tend to go heavy on the cream and don't usually even measure it, and it's turned out delicious no matter how much (or how little) I happen to add.
Storage and Make-Ahead
- Refrigerator: Store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: This soup freezes really well! It's best if you freeze it without the pasta and cream, so if you'd like to freeze it, follow the recipe through step 3 and set aside the amount you plan to freeze. Once it's cool, freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: To reheat from the refrigerator, you can either microwave it for 1-2 minutes or until it's hot, or heat it over medium-low heat on the stove.
Related Recipes
Looking for more easy soup recipes? Try these:
Sausage Tortellini Soup
Yield:
6-8 servings
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
30 minutes
Total Time:
40 minutes
This hearty, comforting sausage tortellini soup is incredibly simple to make and has loads of flavor! It also freezes well, so be sure to double the batch!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground Italian sausage
- 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon aglio olio seasoning from TJ's (optional)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups kale, chopped
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 2-3 cups tortellini
- 1 cup heavy cream
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the Italian sausage in a large soup pot over medium heat until almost no pink remains, then drain off all but 1 tablespoon of fat.
- Add the onion, basil, oregano, and aglio olio seasoning (if using) and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent, stirring occasionally. Add the minced garlic and cook for about another minute.
- Add the kale and chicken stock; stir to combine. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Add the tortellini and the heavy cream and stir the soup gently to make sure the tortellini are all submerged. Cook for just a few minutes if using fresh tortellini, or for the amount of time instructed on your package if using frozen.
- Taste and season the soup to your tastes, then ladle into bowls and serve immediately.
TO MAKE AS SOUP STARTERS:
- Follow the recipe through step 3.
- Allow the soup to cool completely, then ladle into 6 1-cup freezer cubes. Add just enough chicken stock to make sure it freezes into one solid cube (see post images for an example).
- Cover and freeze the cubes overnight or until they're completely frozen solid, then either vacuum seal or transfer to freezer bags. Freeze them for up to 3 months (longer if they're vacuum-sealed).
- To serve, place a frozen cube along with 1 cup of chicken stock into a medium-sized pot on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally to break it up as it thaws. Once it's very hot and simmering, add the tortellini and simmer until they're soft and cooked to your liking. Add a small amount of cream, if desired, then taste and season. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 744Total Fat: 51gSaturated Fat: 20gUnsaturated Fat: 31gCholesterol: 240mgSodium: 805mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 58g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.
Kristy Bernardo is a five-time cookbook author, travel writer, and culinary instructor who has been developing recipes for national brands since 2009. A former personal chef, she learned to cook from her mother and grandmother before refining her skills at the Culinary Institute of America’s Boot Camp.
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