This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
When it comes to tortellini recipes, sausage tortellini soup is all that! It’s a thick hearty aromatic tortellini soup with plenty of wholesome veggies and savory sausage to boot. All you need is some warm fluffy bread to wipe up the bottom of the bowl and maybe a little something to drink.
Sausage tortellini soup is one of those bold flavorful pasta recipes that gets requested over and over again because it’s just that good. This recipe makes a wholesome meal and it’s sure to be a bold new cold-weather favorite.
If you love hearty soups chockfull of tortellini, I hope you’ll try our chicken tortellini soup, creamy tortellini soup, and spinach tortellini soup next. They’re all delicious, I promise!!
Let’s make this soup!
What I Love About Sausage Tortellini Soup Recipe
- Plenty of cheesy yumminess
- Lots of wholesome veggies and savory sausage
- Easily customizable recipe
- Makes a hearty lunch or dinner
- Layers of incredible flavor in every bite
Sausage Tortellini Soup Ingredients
- Meat: I like to use Italian sausage in this recipe. You’ll need a pound of this spice-infused full-flavored meat. It just adds so much savory flavor to the whole dish.
- Sauce: The sauce is a classy blend of beef stock, crushed tomatoes, red wine, and tomato paste in just the right amounts.
- Veggies: Diced carrots and zucchini give your polished soup plenty of texture, vitamins, and minerals. It also injects some massive flavor where it’s not expected! Be sure to sauté them.
- Alliums: Garlic and onions add so much flavor to your dish. They also need to be sautéed until fragrant.
- Spices: An intricate combination of Italian seasonings, bay leaf, black pepper, and sugar lend a flavor that is out of this world!
- Cheese: Now we’re getting to the good stuff! Adding a cup of parmesan to your soup gives it a creamy cheesy quality that is simply irresistible.
- Tortellini: Oh the classic bowl-shaped pasta! I like to use cheese-stuffed tortellini in this recipe. It’s cooked right in the soup to pick up all that awesome flavor.
Tips
Building all that yummy flavor into this Italian sausage tortellini soup happens in a few simple steps. The good news is that the prep is minimal. Here’s how the magic happens!
- Sautéing: First, sauté your veggies in the same pot you cook your sausage in. Yes, you must sauté your veggies. I know it’s all going into the same pot, but this step is instrumental in building the fond and flavor.
- Simmering: You’ll also be simmering this soup until it thickens up and the veggies are cooked. Be sure to use medium-low heat and allow only a gentle bubbling since you’ll be stirring occasionally.
- Extra Broth: You’ll also want to keep a little beef broth on hand. The soup will thicken a bit as it sits and adding a little beef broth is the best way to thin it out for serving.
How To Make Sausage Tortellini Soup
- Saute the Italian sausage.
- Add and saute the aromatics.
- Add the rest of the ingredients except the tortellini. Simmer.
- Add the tortellini to the soup and cook.
- Serve and garnish.
***See the full instructions below.
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead
Your sausage tortellini soup recipe will keep best in an airtight container in the fridge – if there’s anything left over.
- How Long Can You Keep This? Something magical happens to all those robust flavors as they mingle in the fridge. Your sausage tortellini soup with zucchini will stay fresh and vibrant for up to 4 days in the fridge. Just be sure it’s stored in an airtight container with a secure lid.
- Can You Freeze This? Kind of. You can prepare this without the pasta and freeze it that way. When you thaw for your serving, soup put it on the stove with some beef broth and toss in your cheese tortellini to cook.
- Make Ahead Tips: We’re all busy and prepping ahead saves time. The Italian sausage needs to be cooked the day your soup is made but the veggies and alliums can be chopped beforehand. Just be sure to store them separately. Mason jars work really well for this.
- If your schedule is jam-packed, you can always go with the freezing method, so you only need to toss in the tortellini on serving day.
- Food Safety: It may surprise you how quickly this gets gobbled up but it’s best to reserve the 2-hour serving rule recommended by the FDA.
Sausage Tortellini Soup Serving Recommendations
We like this served with our copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks, garlic and herb Parker House rolls, favorite garlic bread and a simple garden salad dressed with an easy balsamic vinaigrette or our elegant Mediterranean salad.
For vegetables, we like sautéed asparagus (with lotsa garlic), simple roasted peppers, roasted Brussels sprouts with pancetta and sage, or roasted green beans.
Recipe Variations
Tweaking this sausage tomato tortellini soup is really easy because there’s already so much intense flavor. There are a lot of things you can do but here are a couple of options.
- Use different types of sausage-like sweet or spicy
- Add your favorite veggies like mushrooms
- Try using different types of tortellini pasta
- Top it with a dollop of sour cream
More Tortellini Deliciousness
- Tortellini Al Forno
- Tortellini Salad
- Tortellini Al Forno
- Marry Me Chicken Tortellini
- Tortellini Casserole
- Chicken Tortellini Alfredo
Tried This Recipe?
Remember, we have new recipes every week! Have you subscribed to our free, no-strings-attached email?
If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on my website, please leave a review. I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sausage Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian Sausage
- 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3 medium carrots, diced
- 6 cups beef stock
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, plus extra for passing
- 1 (10-ounce) package fresh cheese tortellini
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Saute Italian sausage (1 pound), crumbling with a wooden spoon, until sausage is no longer pink. Transfer to a plate; set aside. Pour off and discard all but 2 tablespoons of pan dripping.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions (1 cup) then cook for 3 minutes. Add the carrots (3) to the onions and continue to cook for 3 minutes. Stir in garlic (1 tablespoon) and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the beef stock (6 cups), tomato sauce (1 can), crushed tomatoes (1 can), red wine (1/2 cup), zucchini (1), Italian seasoning (1 1/2 tablespoons), black pepper (1/2 teaspoon), sugar (1/4 teaspoon), bay leaf (1), Parmesan cheese (1 cup), and cooked sausage stirring to combine. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes or until the soup has thickened and the vegetables are tender. Remove and discard bay leaf.
- Add the tortellini (1 package) to the soup and cook until the pasta is tender about 8 minutes. Adjust seasoning. Ladle into individual bowls and serve, passing with extra Parmesan cheese.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Sautéing: First, sauté your veggies in the same pot you cook your sausage in. Yes, you must sauté your veggies. I know it’s all going into the same pot, but this step is instrumental in building the fond and flavor.
- Simmering: You’ll also be simmering this soup until it thickens up and the veggies are cooked. Be sure to use medium-low heat and allow only a gentle bubbling since you’ll be stirring occasionally.
- Extra Broth: You’ll also want to keep a little beef broth on hand. The soup will thicken a bit as it sits and adding a little beef broth is the best way to thin it out for serving.
This recipe is true to the site’s name. You’re going to want seconds! Easy, delicious, hearty,. A really nice combination of flavors and filling enough for your biggest eater!
Thank you so much, JJ! We’re glad you like this soup! Thanks for the positive review and 5 star rating 🙂
Shredded Parmesan or the powdered version?
Hi, Jennifer. I prefer to shred the parmesan than the pre-shredded one, but whichever you have on hand will do.
Me and my grandpa loved this!
That’s so nice, thanks Bonnie 😀 <3
Did you just use the mild Italian sausage to make this soup? Have you made this using the spicy Italian sausage?
Hi Marsha. Yes, I’ve made it both ways and love it either way. My family prefers mild so that is what I generally use. 🙂
At what point do you add the cooked sausage?
Hi Georgina. In step 3 <3