Sausage Tortellini Soup

Name: Sausage Tortellini Soup Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 lb. ground Italian Sausage; 1 medium onion finely chopped; 3 cloves garlic minced; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon dried parsley; ½ teaspoon dried thyme; 2 pinches red pepper flakes; 2 cups low sodium beef broth; 1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste; 1 14.5 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes; 4 cups vegetable broth or low sodium chicken broth; 10 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini; 3 cups arugula (or spinach); Grated Parmesan Cheese; Fresh thyme (optional); Fresh basil (optional)

July 18, 2024 by Beth Pierce 402 Comments

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This delicious sausage tortellini soup recipe combines Italian sausage, tomatoes, fresh cheese tortellini, arugula, and a perfect blend of herbs and spices. Fall is here, and with it comes all kinds of incredibly delicious soups.

I love to serve this family favorite with a garden salad tossed with a light vinaigrette and French baguettes with soft, creamy butter. This soup, Cabbage Roll Soup, Meatball Soup, Chicken and Rice Soup, and Vegetable Beef Soup are just a few of our many favorites.

A dutch oven full of cheese tortellini soup with sausage.

Try this simple recipe for a satisfying and flavorful tortellini soup that will warm you up on a cold day. With just a few ingredients and minimal prep time, it’s the perfect meal for busy weeknights.

If your family is anything like mine, soup is the main meal category for most of fall and winter. It is my favorite time of the year, and soup warms our minds, bodies, and souls. Of course, we eat soup year-round.

Ingredients Notes and Substitutions

See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.

Italian Sausage: I prefer sweet or mild. Try to purchase good quality Italian sausage from a local meat market. If it is only available in links, cut the casings off. Try chicken, ground beef, or pork sausage for Italian sausage substitutes.
Vegetables: onion, garlic, fire-roasted tomatoes, arugula or spinach
Seasonings: dried basil, dried oregano, dried parsley, dried thyme, red pepper flakes, fresh thyme, fresh basil. You can substitute a tablespoon of Italian seasoning for the dried herbs.
Broth: low-sodium beef broth, vegetable broth, or low-sodium chicken broth
Tomato paste: to give the soup flavor and thicken it
Refrigerated cheese tortellini: can substitute frozen or dried
Parmesan cheese: freshly grated is best

A bowl of cheese tortellini soup wiht a spinkle of Parmesan cheese

How To Make Sausage Tortellini Soup

This is just the summary version of the recipe. See the recipe card below for ingredients and full directions.

Brown the Italian Sausage in a Dutch Oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. When it is halfway through the browning process, add the onion and cook until the sausage is brown and the onion is soft.

Then, reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, and crushed red pepper, cooking for a minute. Whisk the tomato paste with a bit of beef broth to thin it out. Then add the vegetable broth, remaining beef broth, fire-roasted tomatoes, and thinned-out tomato paste. Increase the heat to medium and bring it to a low boil. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer.

Add the cheese tortellini and let everything simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the tortellini cooks to your desired tenderness. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir it in the arugula. Salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle each bowl with a bit of Parmesan cheese.

A dutch oven full of sausage and cheese tortellini soup.

Preparation Tips

You can substitute fresh baby spinach for arugula without changing the recipe. Remember to remove the large stems.
Most grocery stores carry refrigerated pasta, although you may have to ask where it is in the store. You can always substitute frozen cheese tortellini or even dried tortellini.
Dried herbs work best in soup, where their flavors have time to permeate the whole pot. I like to add them to the fat from the Italian sausage and cook for about a minute. This technique is known as blooming.

Serving Suggestions

Bread: crusty French or Italian bread, cheese garlic bread, breadsticks, focaccia bread, or cornbread muffins.
Salad: spinach salad, garden salad, or Italian salad
Dessert: peach crisp, key lime pie, or banana cream pie.

A large dutch oven full of cheese tortellini, sausage, and arugula soup with a soup ladle in it.

How to Cook it in a Crock Pot

Brown the Italian Sausage in a Dutch Oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. When it is halfway through the browning process, add the onion and cook until the sausage is brown and the onion is soft.

Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, and crushed red pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Transfer to a crockpot.

In a small bowl, whisk the tomato paste with about 1/2 cup of beef broth. Add it to the crock pot with the vegetable broth, remaining beef broth, and fire-roasted tomatoes. Cook on low for about 4 hours or high for 2 hours.

Increase temperature to high. Add the tortellini, cooking for about 30 minutes or until tender. Add the arugula and cook for about 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and top with 1 tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese.

Storage and Reheat

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Be careful not to overcook the pasta when reheating so it does not have a soggy texture. Reheat on low on the stovetop or in the microwave at reduced power.

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