Creamy Tortellini Soup is packed with cheese tortellini, sausage, carrot, spinach and a savory tomato based broth. Serve with crusty bread to dip!
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Creamy Tortellini Soup Recipe
Everyone knows how comforting a bowl of hearty soup is. This creamy tortellini soup is one our absolute favorite soups! Whether it’s for a weeknight dinner, weekend date night or special occasion, this soup is simply divine.
Soup is one of those dishes that comes together so quickly in one pot. Making it a perfect quick and easy dinner for those busy days when you want something comforting but quick!
What is Creamy Tortellini Soup?
This soup combines cheese tortellini, Italian sausage, carrots, spinach, diced tomatoes, broth and cream to make an irresistible soup. The broth of this soup is a creamy tomato based broth. It pairs perfectly with the cheese tortellini.
To add some heartiness to the soup Italian sausage, carrots and spinach are cooked into the soup. This is a meaty, veggie packed soup with pasta. Serve with baguette or crusty buns to dip!
What to Serve with Creamy Tortellini Soup
- Olive Garden Breadsticks
- Olive Garden Salad
- Jalapeno Popper Pull Apart Garlic Bread
- Pear Fennel Arugula Salad
- Peach Blackberry Salad
What is in Creamy Tortellini Soup?
- Cheese Tortellini – store bought frozen or fresh cheese tortellini can be used. There are many different flavors of tortellini available in grocery stores, if you prefer to use a flavor such as ricotta and spinach, or beef you can use that as well.
- Chicken Broth – the base of the soup broth. You can use store bought, homemade or even bone broth. For a vegetarian recipe use vegetable broth.
- Diced or Crushed Tomatoes – canned tomatoes add the rich tomato flavor to the soup, making the soup reminiscent of a classic rosé pasta.
- Cream – for best results we recommend using heavy cream. This is what gives the broth it’s rich creamy flavor. For a lighter option swap for half and half, light cream or milk.
- Sausage – Italian sausage is recommended but you can really use any variety you prefer. If you like it spicy you can even use a spicy Italian sausage!
- Carrot – great way to sneak in some extra veggies to your diet.
- Onion and Garlic – sautéed into the soup.
- Flour – creates a roux to thicken the soup.
- Spinach – adds a beautiful color as well as nutrients to the soup. You can omit the spinach or swap for kale or cabbage if preferred.
- Oil – for cooking
- Salt and Pepper
How to Make Creamy Tortellini Soup
Full Printable Recipe at Bottom of Page
1 In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in the sausage and break up the meat with a spatula. Sauté stirring often for about 3-5 minutes, or until the sausage is cooked through. Carefully spoon out excess fat, if necessary. Remove from the pot and set aside on a plate.
2 To the pot, add the chopped onion, carrots, and garlic and sauté, for about 2-3 minutes or until the carrots have softened and the onions and garlic are fragrant.
3 Stir in the Italian seasoning.
4 Add in the flour and cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
5 Gradually stir in chicken stock and crushed tomatoes. Add in the salt and pepper.
6 Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring often, until reduced and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
7 Add the tortellini pasta and cook according to package instructions, about 3 – 5 minutes, until just tender.
8 Stir in the parmesan cheese and spinach. Continue cooking until wilted.
9 Reduce heat to low and slowly stir in the heavy cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper as needed.
10 Serve garnished with fresh grated parmesan cheese, chopped basil and parsley (optional). Enjoy!
Tips for the Best Creamy Tortellini Soup
- Kale and spinach cook and wilt very quickly. Add them in just a few minutes in the hot broth to soften enough before serving so they do not become too soggy.
- If you don’t have spinach or simply don’t like it, replace it with kale instead. Kale is generally a bit sturdier than spinach and takes a bit longer to wilt down. Both of them have great health benefits.
- You can use fresh or frozen tortellini to make this soup. If using frozen be sure to keep in mind the cook time for the pasta will be longer. Frozen tortellini may cool down your soup making it longer to come up to a simmer again.
- To make this soup leaner, you can use turkey or chicken sausage instead of pork sausage.
- You can add more veggies like, peppers, mushrooms, or zucchini for a veggie packed soup.
- If you have a leftover Parmesan rind, feel free to throw that in the soup as it simmers for some incredible flavor.
FAQs Creamy Tortellini Soup
Reheat stove top in a pot or in the microwave.
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Keep in mind that the tortellini will continue to absorb broth during storage. You can boil tortellini separately and just add them directly to serving bowls when ready to serve.
If you want to make this soup and do not plan on serving it right away, prepare the soup right up until adding the pasta, spinach/kale and cream. When you are ready to serve, reheat the soup and add in the pasta. When pasta is cooked add in the spinach and cream.
Yes, this recipe is freezer friendly. If you freeze the soup with the pasta in it, the texture will change and get mushy when it thaws. Dairy does not freeze well and should be added after you thaw the soup and reheat it. We recommend following the recipe up to the step of adding the pasta, spinach and cream. Once cooled, freeze the soup in an airtight container for up to 3 months. When you are ready to heat it up add the tortellini, spinach, cream and then add it to the soup as it warms up.
For a vegetarian version, replace the sausage with a vegetarian meat alternative. Or, leave it out completely.
For a vegan version omit the cheese tortellini and cream. Sub sausage with a vegan meat alternative.
For a gluten free recipe use gluten free tortellini and omit the flour.
To make this recipe dairy free omit the cheese tortellini and substitute with regular pasta, and be sure to double check all your ingredients are dairy free. Omit the heavy cream and use coconut cream instead.
More Soups You will Love!
- Butternut Squash Chili
- Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Copycat)
- Chicken Gnocchi Soup (Olive Garden Copycat)
- Black Bean Soup
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Hot and Sour Soup
Enjoy!
– Sab
Creamy Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed (sub with any type of sausage)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 tbsp garlic cloves, minced
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 tsp Italian Seasoning, or 1/2 tsp each dried oregano, basil, parsley, rosemary
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 14 ounce can crushed tomatoes, or diced tomatoes (1 can)
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 10 ounces cheese tortellini, fresh or frozen (1 bag)
- 4 tbsp parmesan cheese, grated
- 3 cups spinach, fresh, or chopped kale, if using frozen spinach thaw and drain well
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Garnish
- Parmesan cheese, grated
- Basil, chopped, optional
- Parsley, chopped, optional
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in the sausage and break up the meat with a spatula. Sauté stirring often for about 3-5 minutes, or until the sausage is cooked through. Carefully spoon out excess fat, if necessary. Remove from the pot and set aside on a plate.
- To the pot, add the chopped onion, carrots, and garlic and sauté, for about 2-3 minutes or until the carrots have softened and the onions and garlic are fragrant.
- Stir in the Italian seasoning.
- Add in the flour and cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Gradually stir in chicken stock and crushed tomatoes. Add in the salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring often, until reduced and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Add the tortellini pasta and cook according to package instructions, about 3 – 5 minutes, until just tender.
- Stir in the parmesan cheese and spinach. Continue cooking until wilted.
- Reduce heat to low and slowly stir in the heavy cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve garnished with fresh grated parmesan cheese, chopped basil and parsley (optional). Enjoy!
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