Tomato Tortellini Soup with Sausage
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Grab a bowl and get cozy with this homemade tortellini soup! It’s made with canned tomatoes and chicken broth (no cream or flour needed), and loaded up with crumbled Italian sausage, sun-dried tomatoes, and chopped kale. Just toss in some refrigerated cheese tortellini, and you’ve got a comforting dinner ready in under an hour.
My favorite soup recipes are the kind that are a meal in one — ideally, everything fits on my spoon, including meat, vegetables and pasta.
My grandfather owned a family sausage shop when I was growing up, so Italian sausage showed up on the dinner table a few times a week. That’s what makes this tortellini soup with sausage feel especially homey to me. I hope it will for you too!
Tortellini soup ingredients
- Italian sausage: For a classic combo of sausage and pasta, you can use sweet or hot sausage (raw, not pre-cooked) made with ground pork, chicken or turkey. Look for bulk sausage meat, or buy whole sausage links and remove the meat from the casings.
- Cheese tortellini: Choose fresh tortellini found in the refrigerated or frozen section of your grocery store (this is my favorite brand). Either type will cook much faster than shelf-stable dried tortellini (and taste a lot better).
- Tomatoes: I use a mixture of canned tomato puree or chopped tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes for the base of the soup.
- Chicken broth: If you don’t have chicken broth, substitute with vegetable broth. Plain water is an option, although you’ll probably need to add more seasoning.
- Kale: I really enjoy the texture of dark green lacinato kale, but curly kale or spinach leaves can be used instead. Be sure to remove the tough center rib from the kale before chopping the leaves.
- Aromatics and seasonings: To keep the prep time minimal, I use a simple aromatic mixture of chopped onion, garlic, dried oregano, and some crushed red pepper.
Recipe overview (step-by-step photos)
- For the full list of instructions, scroll down to the recipe below.
1. Soften the onions in a large pot, such as a Dutch oven. Stir in chopped garlic, oregano and red pepper. 2. Add uncooked Italian sausage, breaking up the meat with a spoon to crumble it. Cook until no longer pink.
3. Add broth, tomato puree, and sun-dried tomatoes. Toss in a Parmesan cheese rind, if you have one. It will add more body and flavor to the soup. 4. Simmer 15 minutes. Stir in the tortellini and cook 5 minutes.
5. Add grated Parmesan cheese and chopped kale and stir until the greens are wilted. 6. Serve the tortellini soup in bowls, with more cheese sprinkled over. Enjoy!
Tomato Tortellini Soup with Sausage
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped or grated garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, *Note: You can omit if using hot sausage
- 1 pound (450 g) bulk Italian sausage (sweet or hot), made with pork, chicken or turkey
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3½ cups (825 ml) chicken broth
- 1 cup canned tomato puree, or crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- Kosher salt
- 1 Parmesan rind, optional
- 8-10 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 2 cups chopped kale
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Put the oil in a large pot and place over medium heat. Stir in the onion and cover the pot. Cook 5 minutes, until the onion is softened.
- Stir in the garlic, oregano and red pepper and cook until the garlic smells fragrant, about 15 seconds. Turn the heat to medium-high. Add the sausage, stirring and breaking it up with a spoon. Cook 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sausage meat is no longer pink. Add the tomato paste and stir it into the meat.
- Add the broth, tomato puree, sun-dried tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt. If you have a Parmesan rind, toss it into the pot. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cook 15 minutes. Keep your eye on the soup and lower the heat if it starts to boil.
- Stir in the tortellini and kale. Simmer the soup about 3-5 more minutes, until the tortellini are tender and the kale is wilted and bright green. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese. If you added a Parmesan rind, scoop it out and discard.
- Serve the soup in bowls, with additional cheese on the side.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- Use fresh or frozen tortellini. Keep in mind that frozen ones will take a few extra minutes to cook.
- The soup keeps refrigerated about 3 days. The tortellini will absorb liquid, so you may want to add a bit more broth when reheating.
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.