Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup With Spinach
By Beth Kaminski ·
This creamy sausage tortellini soup brings together Italian sausage, cheese-filled pasta, and tender spinach in a lightly creamy tomato broth. Everything cooks in one pot, so the pasta picks up flavor as it simmers. Serve it with crusty bread for a cozy family dinner.
A Creamy Soup That Eats Like Dinner
Italian sausage does much of the seasoning here, while onion, carrots, and garlic give the broth a rounded flavor. A small amount of flour adds body without making the soup feel like gravy. Heavy cream softens the tomatoes, and Parmesan brings everything together. The tortellini cook directly in the broth, releasing a little starch as they become tender.
Ingredient Tips and Substitutions
- Sausage: Mild Italian sausage makes a family-friendly soup. Use hot Italian sausage if you prefer some heat. Bulk sausage is convenient, but links work just as well once you remove the casings.
- Tortellini: Refrigerated cheese tortellini give the most predictable cooking time. Frozen tortellini also work; follow the package timing and check one before adding the cream. Dried tortellini need more time and may require extra broth.
- Spinach: Baby spinach needs no chopping unless the leaves are especially large. You can substitute chopped kale, but add it with the tomatoes so it has time to soften.
- Cream: Heavy cream gives the smoothest result. Half-and-half makes a lighter soup, but keep the heat low after adding it and avoid a rolling boil.
- Parmesan: Finely grate a wedge if possible. It melts more smoothly than the shelf-stable grated kind.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
For the best make-ahead texture, prepare the soup through the tomato-broth simmer, then refrigerate it without the pasta, cream, Parmesan, or spinach. Finish those additions when you reheat the base. Refrigerate the base or finished soup in shallow, covered containers within two hours and use within three to four days.
Tortellini continue absorbing broth during storage, so leftovers will be thicker. Reheat only the portion you need over medium-low heat, adding broth or water to loosen it. Stir gently and heat leftovers to 165°F. For freezing, freeze the cooled tomato-sausage base for up to three months, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before finishing the soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use precooked sausage?
Yes. Slice fully cooked Italian-style sausage into bite-size pieces and brown it briefly. You may need a little additional olive oil for the vegetables because precooked sausage releases less fat.
How do I keep the tortellini from getting mushy?
Use the package cooking time as a guide and taste a piece at the earliest suggested time. Stop simmering as soon as the pasta is tender. If you expect several days of leftovers, cook the tortellini separately and add it to individual servings.
Why should the cream go in near the end?
Adding it after the pasta cooks limits its exposure to high heat and acidic tomatoes. Gentle heat also helps the Parmesan blend into the broth rather than clumping.
What should I serve with this soup?
Crusty bread, garlic toast, or a green salad are all good choices. The soup already includes meat, pasta, and vegetables, so it does not need a substantial side.
Recipe
Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup With Spinach
By Beth Kaminski · Italian-American
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Easy
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb mild Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 4 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 6 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 14½ oz canned diced tomatoes, undrained
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 20 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving if desired
- 5 oz baby spinach
Method
- 1
Heat the olive oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven or heavy soup pot over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 1 minute.
- 2
Add the sausage and cook for 7–9 minutes, breaking it into bite-size crumbles with a wooden spoon, until browned and no pink remains.
- 3
Spoon off excess rendered fat, leaving approximately 2 tablespoons in the pot with the sausage.
- 4
Add the onion and carrots and cook over medium heat for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the carrots begin to soften.
- 5
Stir in the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- 6
Sprinkle the flour over the sausage and vegetables and stir continuously for 1 minute, until no dry flour remains.
- 7
Gradually stir in the chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pot with the spoon to loosen any browned bits.
- 8
Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juices, salt, and black pepper.
- 9
Bring the broth to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain an uncovered gentle simmer for 8–10 minutes, until the carrots are tender.
- 10
Add the tortellini and simmer gently for the package-directed cooking time, usually 3–5 minutes for refrigerated pasta, stirring occasionally until a tested piece is tender throughout.
- 11
Reduce the heat to low and gently stir in the cream and Parmesan for 1–2 minutes, until the cheese melts and the broth is steaming; do not let it boil.
- 12
Fold in the spinach and cook over low heat for 1–2 minutes, just until the leaves wilt, then remove the pot from the heat.
Ladle the soup into bowls while the tortellini are tender and the spinach is still bright. A little extra Parmesan and bread for dipping are all it needs.
