Sausage Tortellini Soup - Indulge in the warmth and coziness of this EASY Italian sausage tortellini soup that's made in one pot and ready in 30 MINUTES! Made with cheesy tortellini, juicy sausage, carrots and kale for extra nutrients, and a rich and creamy tomato sauce broth! This comfort food soup recipe is perfect for chilly weather and you can make it on busy weeknights because it's so QUICK!Make sure to work ahead on this soup with your prep work. Meaning, while the pork is sauteeing, chop the onions and carrots. While they're sauteeing, mince the garlic, and so forth. Don't just stand around if you want to finish it in the suggested timeframe.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time25 minutesmins
Total Time35 minutesmins
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 8
Calories: 473kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
1poundground Italian pork sausagesweet or hot are both fine, casings removed if you are using sausage links
1medium yellow or white onion
2large carrotspeeled and diced into thin rounds or half moons
1teaspoonsaltplus more to taste if necessary
1teaspoonfreshly ground black pepperplus more to taste if necessary
9ouncepackage refrigerated cheese tortellinior your favorite tortellini flavor and style
3cupstorn or roughly chopped kale leaveswith very thick stems and ribs removed
Freshly grated Parmesan cheeseoptional for garnishin
Fresh herbs including parsleybasil, thyme, oregano, etc.; optional for garnishing
Instructions
To a large Dutch oven or soup pot, add the pork, and saute over medium-high heat for about 4-5 minutes; crumble and toss with a wooden spoon as it's cooking.
Add the onions, carrots, salt, pepper, and saute for about 5 minutes, or until tender; stir frequently.
Add the garlic, stir, and saute for 1 minute or until fragrant; stir nearly constantly.
Add the tomato paste and stir to combine.
Evenly sprinkle the Italian seasoning over the top, add the beef broth, stir, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
Add the heavy cream, tortellini, and continue to simmer for about 5 minutes, or until tortellini are soft and done. Tip - Use heavy cream for best results, although half-and-half may be substituted. Do not use milk, it's too thin and watery and won't help you acheive the intended flavor and texture goals.
Add the kale, stir to combine, turn off the heat, and wait for 1-2 minutes, or until it has wilted.
Taste the soup and make any necessary flavor adjustments. Seasoning Tips - More than likely, you will want to add more salt, at least 1 to 2 teaspoons more. Part of it will depend on how salty your pork sausage is, but also your general preference for salt. If the soup tastes at all flat, bland, boring, or like it's missing something, it likely needs more salt so don't be afraid to add it. Pepper too, although not as critical as salt tends to be. For those who want just a hint of spice, a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper will add flavor and interest, rather than just spiciness and it's a trick I often use when I want to jazz up soup. You have to add more than a pinch to actually make it spicy. Hot pepper flakes are also a nice touch here. Ironically, so is a pinch of sugar. It can balance the acidity of the tomato sauce similar to adding a pinch of sugar to pasta sauce.
After you have the soup seasoned to your liking, ladle it into bowls, optionally garnish with fresh Parmesan and/or fresh herbs, and serve with crusty bread like a baguette, or homemade dinner rolls, or Parker House rolls.
Notes
Storage Tips and Considerations: Extra soup will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days. I haven't ever frozen this soup. The issue with freezing anything with cream or dairy in it like this is that upon thawing, it can appear a bit curdled - like there's bits of white stuff floating - which while it may not taste bad, is very unsightly. If you do attempt freezing it, freeze one small portion in case my suspicions are confirmed and that happens.The other way around this if you want to make planned leftovers and freeze some because in general, soups freeze well, is to simply leave out the heavy cream. Anytime there's dairy involved, make sure to reheat gently. I do it in the microwave in short bursts, but you can also do it on the stove over low heat.