This Sausage Tortellini Soup is one of the most comforting meals to make on a cold winter day – and one the whole family will love. It’s quick and easy to whip up, but so full of flavor!
I pretty much enjoy any soup, and this sausage tortellini one is no exception. I love the smells wafting through the house while it simmers on the stove, and I absolutely appreciate how quick it is to come together on the stove.
My entire family will eat this up without any complaints (correction: some beloved family members will pick out the green pepper; I LOVE it, but I know not everyone does – so leave it out if it’s not your thing). It’s always a hit when it’s cold outside, and we need something to really warm us up!
Ingredients you’ll need
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!
Ingredient notes
- Vegetables: Feel free to skip any vegetables you don’t have/don’t like, or add something you enjoy more (eg red pepper instead of green).If you don’t want to add fresh onion, feel free to use ½ teaspoon dried onion powder instead.
- Broth: If you don’t have any broth on hand, the soup is also good if you just use water. Add salt and increase the garlic powder/Italian seasoning if using water, and consider simmering the soup for 5-10 minutes longer.
- Tortellini: While the name of this recipe pretty much implies that tortellini are mandatory here 😉 you can absolutely use a different pasta if you don’t have any tortellini on hand. Any pasta shapes you enjoy in soup are fine, but something like Gnocchi would be absolutely delicious, too!
- Creaminess: I love a creamy touch to this soup sometimes, so I occasionally add some heavy cream at the end . Please do NOT use milk as a substitute! It splits from the acid coming from the tomatoes and you’ll end up with curdled soup. If you want to add creaminess and don’t usually keep cream on hand, consider stirring in 1-2 tablespoons of cream cheese (I do that all the time and it works perfectly fine!).
How to make Sausage Tortellini Soup
1. Start by browning the sausage in oil, crumbling it as it cooks.
2. Add the vegetables to the sausage in the pot and cook until starting to soften, about 3-5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in tomato paste, Italian seasoning and garlic powder.
brown sausage 
add vegetables, season pour in broth add tomatoes
3. Pour the broth over the sausage and vegetables, scratching any browned bits off the bottom of the pot.
4. Add both the tomato sauce and the diced tomatoes. Stir well, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Open the lid, add the cheese tortellini and simmer until they are cooked through, usually 4-5 minutes for most brands. Stir in the cream, if you’re using it, and serve topped with parmesan cheese.
add tortellini finish and serve
Recipe tips
Make ahead instructions
You can make the base of this soup ahead and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Finish simmering it up to the step of adding the tortellini. Let it cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container in the fridge.
To reheat, bring to boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and add the tortellini. Finish as stated in the recipe.
Freezer instructions
You can also freeze the soup at the same point as refrigerating it.
Place the cooled soup into a freezer container, label with the name and use-by date and freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrost in the fridge overnight, then add to a soup pot, bring to a boil, add the tortellini and finish as directed in the recipe.
Serving ideas
We love a nice bread to go with this soup.
If I plan ahead, I will often make a No Knead Bread (or a No Knead French Bread!). My husband loves to make a simple sourdough bread. If we’re shorter on time, an easy homemade bread is also great!
Recipe video
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Sausage Tortellini Soup
Recipe details
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound mild or hot Italian sausage either ground; or removed from casings and crumbled
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 medium carrots chopped
- 2 stalks celery sliced
- 1 medium green pepper diced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 cups beef broth chicken is fine, too
- 1 (15-oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (9-oz) package cheese tortellini
- ¼ cup heavy cream optional for a creamy soup
- finely shredded parmesan cheese for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Brown sausage: Heat oil in large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 pound mild or hot Italian sausage
- Sauté vegetables: Add onion, carrots, celery and green pepper to the sausage in the pot and cook until starting to soften, about 3-5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in tomato paste, Italian seasoning and garlic powder.1 medium yellow onion, 2 medium carrots, 2 stalks celery, 1 medium green pepper, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Simmer soup: Pour broth over sausage and vegetables, scratching any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Stir well, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes.4 cups beef broth, 1 (15-oz) can tomato sauce, 1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes
- Finish soup: Open lid, add cheese tortellini and simmer until tortellini are cooked through, usually 4-5 minutes for most brands. Stir in cream, if desired, and serve topped with parmesan cheese.1 (9-oz) package cheese tortellini, ¼ cup heavy cream
Notes
Ingredient notes
Vegetables: Feel free to skip any vegetables you don’t have/don’t like, or add something you enjoy more (eg red pepper instead of green). If you don’t want to add fresh onion, feel free to use ½ teaspoon dried onion powder instead. Broth: If you don’t have any broth on hand, the soup is also good if you just use water. Increase salt and all seasoning if using water, and consider simmering it for 5-10 minutes longer. Tortellini: While the name of this recipe pretty much implies that tortellini are mandatory here 😉 you can absolutely use a different pasta if you don’t have any tortellini on hand. Any pasta shapes you enjoy in soup are fine, but something like Gnocchi would be absolutely delicious, too! Cream: I love a creamy touch to this soup. Please do NOT use milk as a substitute! It splits from the acid coming from the tomatoes and you’ll end up with curdled soup. If you want to add creaminess and don’t have any cream on hand, consider stirring in some cream cheese if you have that (I do that all the time and it works perfectly fine!).Make ahead instructions
You can make the base of this soup ahead and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Finish simmering it up to the step of adding the tortellini. Let it cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, bring to boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and add the tortellini. Finish as stated in the recipe.Freezer instructions
You can also freeze the soup at the same point as refrigerating it. Place the cooled soup into a freezer container, label with the name and use-by date and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then add to a soup pot, bring to a boil, add the tortellini and finish as directed in the recipe.Nutrition
More recipe information
Recipe first published in 2019. Updated with new photos, better text and minor changes to the recipe on 02/15/2022.
Pete Thompson says
Just curious, I have found that the fat in the sausage is plenty to brown it. I see you don’t add much oil, but why add it at all? We will be making this recipe later this week. I’ll be sure to post what my family thinks then.
Nora says
Pete, in my experience it really depends on the sausage. You are right, a fatty sausage will likely not need any extra oil added and you can skip it. Most people just drain as much extra grease as they want to after browning, but either way goes.