Generously loaded with Italian sausage, cheese tortellini & spinach. This delicious Creamy Tortellini Soup will satisfy the whole family
Filling, warming, and tasty
Plump cheese-filled tortellini, browned Italian sausages and baby spinach in a mouthwatering creamy tomato sauce. This Creamy Tortellini Soup has everything we want in a family meal: simple, affordable, and tasty! It’s also very filling, in that a serving would satisfy the hungriest member of the family.
It’s spring here, but the weather has been wacky. Last week, we were shopping outdoors, and the heat was so uncomfortable and overbearing. Things got even better when our tired 3-year-old, Kai, threw himself on the dirty hot pavement and refused to move. My husband, Tomi, had to throw him over his shoulder and carry him to the car while our little guy was kicking the air furiously. I swear, our car’s air conditioner saved our lives!
However, this week it’s cold, windy and rainy. It’s the perfect time to extend our soup season with this hearty bowl of creamy goodness.
When it’s miserable outside, this Creamy Tortellini Soup is my coping mechanism. It hits the spot every time. It’s so good that my sister, Nara and I don’t mind having the leftovers for our next meal. This says a lot because we’re both not big on eating the same food twice in a row.
What I love most about this soup is its ability to satisfy all four of us. This is a big deal because we have a household of very different eaters and yet we all loved this soup. Meat-loving Tomi enjoyed the Italian sausages, Kai and Nara loved the cheesy tortellini, and I loved the creamy tomato sauce. Seriously, there are no boring bits because everything in this soup is just delicious!
Creamy Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage
What’s Italian sausage?
The Italian sausage used in this recipe is store-bought sausage and is quite simple. It’s just ground pork, primarily seasoned with fennel or anise along with other mild spices such as Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper. You could make your own, or buy Italian sausage from your supermarket or butcher and remove its casing.
Some store-bought Italian sausages range from mild to spicy, so be mindful of this if you’re planning to feed little ones.
What type of pasta is best for this soup?
To keep things simple and fuss-free, I used fresh store-bought cheese-filled tortellini. Supermarkets usually store these kinds of pasta in their chilled section. Pumpkin, cheese or vegetable-filled pasta is best in this soup because we have plenty of meat from the sausages.
For this recipe, you could swap tortellini for ravioli, penne, bow ties or rigatoni pasta. If using dried pasta, you’ll need to par-cook them before adding them to the soup (a few minutes then recommended by the packet instruction)
Want to make this soup a little healthier?
Being a parent, I always try to sneak some vegetables into my dishes, as I did here by adding some baby spinach. Mushrooms and corn kernels would also go well in this Creamy Tortellini Soup. You could reduce the amount of pasta and sausages and swap with more vegetables.
If you prefer a lighter and healthier soup, you could reduce the amount of thickened cream by half rather than using low-fat cream.
More tasty and comforting recipes to try:
Ingredients for Creamy Tortellini Soup
Tortellini – I used fresh store-bought cheese-filled tortellini. Supermarkets usually store these kinds of pasta in their chilled section. Pumpkin, cheese or vegetable-filled pasta is best in this soup because we have plenty of meat from the sausages. You could swap tortellini for ravioli, penne, bow ties or rigatoni pasta. If using dried pasta, you’ll need to par-cook them before adding them to the soup (a few minutes then recommended by the packet instruction)
Italian sausage – The Italian sausage used in this recipe is store-bought sausage and is quite simple. It’s just ground pork, primarily seasoned with fennel or anise along with other mild spices such as Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper. You could make your own, or buy Italian sausage from your supermarket or butcher and remove its casing.
Thickened cream (whipping or heavy cream) has thickening agents added, such as gelatine or vegetable gum. It usually contains 35% milk fat.
Chicken powder – I cannot live without Knorr Chicken Powder (not sponsored). It seriously enhances the taste in many of my savoury dishes. Although I highly recommend this brand, other chicken powder or chicken bouillon cubes would work as a substitute.
Chicken stock/broth – I prefer using salt-reduced or low-sodium chicken stock because I have more control over the sodium level. This way I can adjust the seasoning in dishes to my liking. It’s always better to be under-seasoned than over-seasoned as it’s easier to fix. If you use regular stock, just omit the salt called for in the recipe, and adjust it to your taste later.
Subscribe to 3CatsFoodie’s FREE Newsletter
For the latest recipes and other fun stuff!
How to make Creamy Tortellini Soup
Step-by-step guide with photos
Remove the sausage meat from their casing by running a sharp knife lengthwise through the sausage.
In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high, then place in the sausage meat. Sauté until the meat has browned, then add in the garlic and onion and sauté for 1 minute.
Add in the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, basil, oregano, chicken powder, cayenne pepper (if using), sugar, salt and pepper, then bring the soup to a boil. Place in the tortellini and cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until tender.
Place in the spinach, then stir it into the soup until they wilt. Reduce the heat to low, then stir in the cream and let simmer for 5 minutes. Have a taste of the soup and add more salt and pepper to your liking if needed.
Leftovers – Allow the soup to cool completely at room temperature, then transfer it into a sealed container. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
I’ve used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
I would love your feedback and support if you made this recipe. To do this, please rate this recipe and provide a comment by scrolling down this page or by clicking that green circle on the bottom left. An email address is required (for spam), but it won’t be published. I would also love to see your dish, so don’t forget to tag me on my Instagram account ‘3catsfoodie’
Cheers – Cat T
Creamy Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 500gm / 1.1lb Italian sausages (NOTE 1)
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 small brown/yellow onion (diced finely)
- 400gm / 14oz tin crushed tomato
- 4 cups / 1 ltr / 34 floz salt-reduced chicken stock (NOTE 2)
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp chicken powder (or chicken stock powder/cubes) (NOTE 3)
- ½ tsp ground cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 400gm / 14oz tortellini (cheese or pumpkin filled) (NOTE 4)
- 100gm / 3.5oz baby spinach
- 1 cup thickened cream (NOTE 5)
Instructions
- Remove the sausage meat from their casing by running a sharp knife lengthwise through the sausage. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high, then place in the sausage meat. Sauté until the meat has browned, then add in the garlic and onion and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add in the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, basil, oregano, chicken powder, cayenne pepper (if using), sugar, salt and pepper, then bring the soup to a boil. Place in the tortellini and cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until tender.
- Place in the spinach, then stir it into the soup until they wilt. Reduce the heat to low, then stir in the cream and let simmer for 5 minutes. Have a taste of the soup and add more salt and pepper to your liking if needed.
