This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

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!

An overhead image of a pot of tortellini soup plus two serving bowls also full of soup
Pin this recipe for later!Pin This
Save this recipe
Enter your email below & we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!

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.
A ladle holding a scoop of tortellini tomato soup

What’s in Tortellini Soup?

ingredients for 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 recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

collage of images showing steps for making 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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

An overhead shot of tomato tortellini soup with sausage

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.
Tortellini Soup with tomato broth, fresh parsley and a toasted crostini

More Delicious Soup Recipes to Try


Recipe
A bowl of soup with tomato broth, tortellini, spinach, cheese and parsley. A small piece on bread on top. Image created for social media.

Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage & Spinach

4.77 from 353 votes
Tortellini Soup recipe has Italian sausage, cheese tortellini and leafy green spinach in a tomato broth. It's a perfect cozy weeknight soup.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 6 servings

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

For a creamier soup, add a half cup of Greek yogurt or sour cream.

Nutrition

Calories: 534kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 22gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 1654mgPotassium: 669mgFiber: 5gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 1651IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 165mgIron: 4mg
Keyword tortellini soup

Kristin Maxwell

Kristin Maxwell is the creator and main recipe developer, writer, and photographer of Yellow Bliss Road. A self-taught cook and self-appointed foodie, she specializes in easy, flavorful and approachable recipes for any home cook.

Free Email Series
5 Secrets to Dinnertime Sanity
Free email series with tested, tasted & terrific dinner recipes!

You Might Also Like

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. I’m sorry but I thought this was very bland. I’m not a good enough cook to know what it needed. I think the crushed tomato made it blah. I added grated parm, kosher salt, and crushed red pepper flakes but could not give it the flavor it needed. Next time no tomatoes and straight chicken broth or stock.

  2. This is my first food review. But I have to tell you that this recipe is a real favorite!!! My daughter who is in college asked me to send her this recipe. She makes it regularly…and she isn’t into cooking. It’s easy and wonderful for leftovers. It’s my go to recipe for taking to friends and neighbors when somebody needs a meal. (I add a can of white beans and some zucchini but it’s perfect on its own!)

  3. I do not know when this recipe was first posted but I made it for my two sons while they were in high school playing sports. They graduated in 2019 and 2021, respectively. This is their favorite home cooked meal. When they come home from college, this is first thing they ask to be on the menu. Thank you for posting all those years ago.

  4. This is the best soup ever! A friend served it at a luncheon and we all loved it. She gave out the recipe and I made it the next day and have been making it over and over!!!

  5. Excellent! I did add tomato paste because I like a more robust tomato presence. Also a splash of basalmic vinegar. So good!!!

  6. One of my favorite soups! I avoid dairy so I love that this is not a cream based soup. The only change I make is to cook the tortellini al dente separate from the soup. I allow everyone to decide how many tortellini to add to their hot soup, but more importantly, the leftovers are much better. I put the tortellini in a plastic bag in the fridge and they do not get soggy from sitting in the soup over the next few days after serving.

  7. This is an easy to fix, great recipe. We really enjoy it. I have made this several times, and am so glad to have discovered your site. Thank you for sending great uncomplicated recipes to me.

  8. This soup is delicious! Very easy to make & leftovers keep well & freeze also. I only cook for one now so the fact it keeps well is great!
    Thank you!

  9. i have made this close to 20 times & everyone i make it for LOVES IT!

    i’m making it this week & accidentally got tortellini from the shelf instead of refrigerated tortellini… do i make the soup as normal? should i cook the pasta before hand?

  10. I have made this soup a few times. So quick and easy to make. This time I used 1 14 oz crushed tomatoes & 1 14 oz fire roasted tomatoes. A little spicy but delish!!

  11. I made this soup last night and I LOVE IT! Everything is perfect about this recipe. The only modification that I made was that I used Chicken sweet Italian Sausage instead of pork. I highly recommend this soup! 2 thumbs up.

  12. Perfect comfort recipe! Flavorful, filling, and so easy! I used spicy Italian sausage and it kicked up the flavor. I’ll definitely make this again m.

  13. This recipe is delicious and always a favorite of mine! I use Italian and spicy sausage and an entire bag of spinach. Added some green onions this time and way more garlic (because I am a garlic addict) A definite go to I the winner her months!

  14. Family favorite! A great weeknight meal that’s easy to put together, hearty and warming on a cold night. We love it.

    1. Hi Nicole, you should get 5-6 servings. I don’t usually say what the serving “size” is because all of the information offered here is approximate and depends on who is eating. But, when I make this, we usually do about a ladle and a half per person.

  15. I love this soup, but my husband doesn’t do soup for dinner due to the liquid content (too many overnight trips to the bathroom) so I figured out how to improvise. I added cubed zucchini and sliced mini sweet peppers and used a can of diced tomatoes and less broth. He loved it and he gets his on a plate with a fork and mine is in a bowl with a fork AND spoon. We both get what we want and enjoy the amazing flavor. Yummy

  16. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve used this recipe. Whenever I mention I am going to cook this for dinner, my boyfriend does not hesistate to do the grocery shopping. I add in a whole bag of spinach for a larger serving of veggies, throw the crostinis under the broiler for a couple minutes to really get the cheese nice and melty. TIP: Ruffino Chianti is under $10 a bottle and pairs perfectly with this dish. Cheers 🙂