Creamy Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage
Generously loaded with Italian sausage, cheese tortellini & spinach. This delicious Creamy Tortellini Soup will satisfy the whole family
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.
Notes
(NOTE 1) 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.
(NOTE 2) 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.
(NOTE 3) 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.
(NOTE 4) 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)
(NOTE 5) Thickened cream (whipping or heavy cream) has thickening agents added, such as gelatine or vegetable gum. It usually contains 35% milk fat.
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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 ServingCalories: 700kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 28gFat: 48gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 134mgSodium: 1412mgPotassium: 711mgFiber: 5gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 2367IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 198mgIron: 5mg