Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage & Spinach is Tomato Soup taken up a whole bunch of notches with spicy Italian Sausage, Spinach and Tortellini. Finished off with a crispy, cheesy crostini, this is definitely not your run of the mill canned variety soup, and it’s a great one pot meal that’s perfect for a cold winter night!
Tortellini soup is a delicious meal on it’s own, but you can pair it with some garlic bread and a big green salad and add a few more guests to dinner.
Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage & Spinach
I have always been a fan of tomato soup. I love the creaminess, the rich tomato flavor and brightness of the tomatoes. So imagine my delight when I combined those flavors I love with spicy Italian Sausage, Spinach and Cheesy Tortellini!
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. I mean, it’s got everything you need – meat, veggies and this one even has yummy, cheesy pasta. It cooks quickly and in just a few steps. Of course, the longer you let it simmer, the better the flavor. Just be sure to plan to add the tortellini and spinach just before you’re ready to eat, so they don’t get overcooked.
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, add a tablespoon sour cream to your bowl, or a half cup to the whole pot. (I tried Greek yogurt, but it separated and didn’t look very pretty).
Why everyone loves my Tortellini Soup
- It’s super simple to make in just a few steps and it’s ready in less than an hour.
- It’s like your favorite pasta and sauce in a delicious creamy soup.
- The spinach adds veggies, making this soup a complete meal!
How to make Tortellini Soup
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. In a large soup pot, heat some a small amount of olive oil. Saute some chopped onions and add them to the pot. Saute 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.
- 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 couple of minutes before adding the spinach. The pasta will cook fairly quickly, as will the spinach so don’t overcook and become mushy.
- Add spinach. Add the spinach during the last few minutes of cooking time, then serve immediately. It does wilt rather quickly.
Top your soup with a cheesy crispy crouton!
Sometimes, when I’m feeling especially indulgent, I’ll make some stovetop Parmesan crostini.
- Just butter slices of bread (I use french baguette) and place them butter side down in a hot skillet.
- When the butter side is nice and golden, flip them over and top with a bit of grated Parmesan.
- While the bread crisps on the bottom, the heat from the pan will help melt the cheese. This is a little bit like a grown-up version of tomato soup with grilled cheese – super yummy and ultra comforting!
- When they’re done just transfer the crostini to a plate. If the cheese isn’t quite melted enough for you, cover the skillet loosely with foil. Top your Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage & Spinach with a crostini and let it soak up all that tomato goodness, similar to how the bread and cheese top a delicious french onion soup.
Tortellini Soup Tips and Tricks
Can I use frozen tortellini? I get asked this question a lot. The answer is yes you can, 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, pre-cooked shredded chicken, or no meat at all.
We don’t like spinach. Leave it out! You do not need to add the 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!
Can you freeze this soup? Yes you can freeze this soup WITHOUT adding the tortellini. Soups in general freeze really well but those with pasta in them do not. The pasta tends to get very mushy as it thaws so I do not recommend freezing it. Freese 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 soup pot on the stove.
How to store leftovers
Store leftover tortellini soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat. Keep in mind that the tortellini may continue to cook and become slightly mushy when reheat.
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 in the soup.
And for more delicious soup recipes, try these:
- Easy Beef & Macaroni Soup (Goulash Soup)
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Homemade Chicken Soup
- Homemade Chicken Soup
- Hamburger Soup Recipe
- Bacon and Bean Soup
How to make Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage & Spinach:
Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage & Spinach
Ingredients
Soup
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound ground Italian Sausage
- 1/2 cup diced onion about 1/2 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 1/3 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 soft.
- Crumble Italian Sausage and garlic with the onion. Cook until sausage is no longer pink.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes, vegetable (or chicken) broth, basil, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover. Let soup simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- Add tortellini and spinach and simmer for about ten minutes, until pasta is tender.
- Serve with shredded Parmesan.
Crostini
- Slice baguette into 1/2 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.
Thank you for such a lovely recipe. Served it up to my family at lunch with the parmesan toast and was thoroughly enjoyed!
This was good as-is but upon tasting the broth it needed more seasoning for us. I added 1t Italian seasoning and 1t dried basil along with 3T sugar, salt and a good shake of red pepper flake. I also added a medium pour of heavy cream after it was off the heat. I took the advice and cooked the tortellini separately and put it all together in the bowl. Topped with parm and fresh basil. Fantastic! Thanks for the idea!!!
You are so welcome Trish, thanks for stopping by.
This recipe is fantastic! Super easy to make, and gave me some leftovers I’m actually looking forward to eating.
This recipe is the bomb!!!! So so good, loved everything about it. Thanks for sharing!
You are so welcome Syd! Thanks for stopping by.
Great recipe, great taste ! Thanks 😃!
At what step do you add the sour cream?
Let the sour cream sit out while you make the soup so it’s not really cold when you mix it in with the hot soup. You would add that at the end.
My son’s mother in law introduced me to this soup and I liked it so much I looked for a recipe. This one sounded like what I wanted and it surpassed all expectations.
It is now our favorite soup.
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Marlene.
It serves 6. Is that 1 cup per serving?
Thank you
Probably closer to a cup and a half.
I’m so glad I stumbled upon this recipe! I cooked it for my family and extended family–all 12 of us loved it!! I paired it with a nice spinach salad and french bread. The flavor was amazing and felt like I was dining at a nice Italian restaurant. Definitely will be adding to our “family faves” list.
🙂
Nice! It’s definitely a honor to make that list, thanks for stopping by Dev.
Hey Kristin! This is going to be my husbands birthday meal! Can canned or frozen bag spinach be used? Thank you!
If you thaw it and squeeze out all the liquid, yes it could. However, fresh will provide the best texture.
This is delicious! Everyone loved it! The day after I made it, my husband asked me how I made the broth and was surprised how simple it was. Definitely adding to my favourites!
Nice! Thanks for sharing your feedback Jeanette.