Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup
This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Indulge in the comforting flavors of our hearty Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup recipe. A medley of Italian sausage, vegetables, and cheese tortellini all simmer together in a rich and flavorful tomato broth. Like our creamy Crockpot Tortellini Soup with Sausage, this is a great one to serve to groups!
Why I Love This Recipe
I’ve made this particular soup for over a decade for family and friends. Friends, it’s so yummy! Here’s what I love about this recipe:
- Easy to make
- Hearty and comforting
- Complex, rich flavor
- Great to serve to company!
Ingredients
- Ground mild Italian sausage (turkey or pork) – Look for all-natural tortellini in the health food section, or be sure to read the labels of any other options and choose the one with the fewest ingredients in it.
- Diced onions, carrots, celery – Aim for cutting up the vegetables pretty small and in evenly-sized pieces.
- Non-marinated, quartered artichokes – You’ll use both the flavorful liquid and the artichokes.
- Petite diced tomatoes – Sub fire-roasted diced tomatoes for even more flavor.
- Tomato sauce – Look for the canned tomato sauce in the canned food aisle. Plain marinara sauce will work as a substitute.
- Chicken broth – My favorite store-bought brand is Pacific Broth. Or try making Homemade Chicken Broth.
- Frozen cheese tortellini – Look for the brand with the fewest ingredients.
- Baby spinach – Fresh baby spinach is best. I like to give it a rough chop before tossing it in the soup.
Note: Find our full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and directions at the bottom of this post.
Variations and Substitutions
- Want more heat? Use hot Italian sausage instead of mild or add more red pepper flakes.
- Diced zucchini would be good in this. Throw it in when it’s time to boil the soup.
- Gluten-Free Version: Replace the cheese tortellini with gluten-free tortellini or pasta.
- Dairy-Free Version: Replace the cheese tortellini with your favorite pasta. Cook according to package directions.
How to Make Sausage Tortellini Soup
Here’s a quick overview of how this soup is made…
Brown Sausage
Brown Italian sausage until cooked through and season with Italian seasoning. Set aside on paper towels to drain.
Saute Veggies
Saute onion, carrots, and celery until soft. Season with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and garlic.
Cook Soup
Add cooked sausage, the liquid from artichoke hearts, diced tomatoes (liquid and all), tomato sauce, chopped artichokes, and broth to the pot. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer with the lid partially on for 15-20 minutes.
Add Tortellini & Spinach:
Add tortellini and spinach, and cook the tortellini according to package directions. Remove from the heat.
Serve
Taste and season with more salt and pepper, as needed. Serve warm in bowls topped with optional grated Parmesan cheese.
Can You Freeze Tortellini Soup?
Yes, you can freeze this soup. Here’s the best way to freeze Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup.
Freeze For Later: Stop cooking the soup at the end of Step 3, before adding tortellini and spinach. Cool completely and freeze in a freezer bag or container, squeezing out all excess air and sealing tightly.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw in the fridge or in the microwave in a glass bowl using the defrost setting. Then, bring to a simmer in a stock pot on the stove. Add tortellini and chopped spinach and cook until done according to package directions. Serve as directed.
Alternate Freezing Instructions: You can freeze the soup in individual portions after it is fully cooked, but just know that the tortellini will get really soft after freezing and rewarming.
More FAQs
Traditional Italian pork sausage–mild or spicy–works well for this soup. You can use turkey or chicken sausage for a lighter option.
The key is to add them at the very end of the cook time and boil them according to package directions.
Zucchini, kale, or bell peppers would be nice additions to this soup.
To reheat the soup, gently warm it on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave. Avoid boiling the soup vigorously to prevent overcooking the tortellini.
More Cozy Soups to Try
Be sure to Pin or bookmark these other popular soups on our site:
- Mexican Soup – A crowd pleaser.
- Tomato Bisque – My family refuses any other.
- Cheeseburger Soup – Comfort in a bowl.
- Chicken and Wild Rice Soup – Might be my favorite recipe on the site.
- Potato Corn Chowder – AKA “Autumn Chowder”.
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup
Our hearty Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini features a medley of Italian sausage, vegetables, and cheese tortellini all simmered together in a rich and flavorful tomato broth. Great one to serve to groups!
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb ground mild Italian sausage (turkey or pork)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 cup diced onions (about 1/2 large onion)
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- Salt and pepper
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (1 teaspoon pre-minced garlic)
- 1 (14-ounces) can non-marinated, quartered artichokes
- 1 (14.5-ounces) can petite diced tomatoes (sub: fire-roasted diced tomatoes)
- 1 (15-ounces) can tomato sauce
- 1 quart (32-ounces) chicken broth
- 2 1/2–3 cups (8-10 ounces) frozen cheese tortellini (sub: gluten-free rotini pasta)
- 2 cups packed fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
Make It Now:
- Brown Sausage: In a 5- or 6-quart stock pot over medium-high heat, brown Italian sausage until cooked through, about 5 minutes, adding Italian seasoning to the sausage while it cooks. Set aside on paper towels to drain.
- Saute Veggies: Add onion, carrots, and celery to the pot and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Season with red pepper flakes and lightly with salt and pepper, to taste, while they cook. Add in the garlic during the last 30-60 seconds of cooking time, so it doesn’t burn.
- Cook Soup: Add cooked sausage, the liquid from artichoke hearts (reserve artichokes), diced tomatoes (liquid and all), tomato sauce, and broth to the pot, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. While soup comes to a boil, chop the artichokes into bite-sized pieces and toss into the pot. Simmer with the lid partially on for 15-20 minutes. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
- Add Tortellini & Spinach: Add tortellini and spinach, and cook the tortellini according to package directions. Remove from the heat.
- Serve: Taste and season with more salt and pepper, as needed. Serve warm in bowls topped with optional grated Parmesan cheese.
Freeze For Later: Stop cooking the soup at the end of Step 3, before adding tortellini and spinach. Cool completely and freeze in a freezer bag or container, squeezing out all excess air and sealing tightly.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw in the fridge or in the microwave in a glass bowl using the defrost setting. Then, bring to a simmer in a stock pot on the stove. Add tortellini and chopped spinach and cook until done according to package directions. Serve as directed.
Alternate Freezing Instructions: You can freeze the soup in individual portions after it is fully cooked, but just know that the tortellini will get really soft after freezing and rewarming.
Notes/Tips
- Look for all-natural tortellini in the health food section, or be sure to read the labels of any other options and choose the one with the fewest ingredients in it.
- Want more heat? Use hot Italian sausage instead of mild or add more red pepper flakes.
- Aim for cutting up the vegetables pretty small and in evenly-sized pieces.
- Diced zucchini would be good in this. Throw it in when it’s time to boil the soup.
- Gluten-Free Version: Replace the French Onion soup with 1-quart chicken broth and 1 teaspoon onion powder. Replace the cheese tortellini with gluten-free tortellini or pasta.
- Dairy-Free Version: Replace the cheese tortellini with your favorite pasta. Cook according to package directions.
- Old Recipe Version: We updated this recipe in July 2023 with the popular one from our first cookbook, which leaves out the canned French Onion soup. Here is the old version:
-
- 16 oz. mild Italian sausage, crumbled and browned
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (or more to taste)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 small jalapeno pepper, minced
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 celery rib, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 (14-ounces) cans non-marinated, quartered artichokes (liquid and all)
- 1 (14-ounces) can diced tomatoes (liquid and all)
- 1 (28 oz) can tomato sauce
- 2 cans French Onion Soup
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth (I used 1 box)
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 package frozen cheese tortellini
- In a large stock pot over medium high heat, brown Italian sausage until cooked through. Add seasonings to the sausage. Set aside.
- Over medium-high heat, saute onion, carrots, celery, and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Add cooked sausage, artichoke hearts, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, French Onion Soup, broth, corn, and bay leaves to the pot and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Add tortellini and cook according to package directions just a few minutes before serving.
- Remove bay leaves and serve with Parmesan cheese on top.
Photos and video by Whitney Reist of Sweet Cayenne.
I tried this soup to clean a few things out of the fridge. I cooked the pasta espérate so I could freeze the base and in case my girls didn’t like it— they BOTH said it was yummy! Polly & Rachel do it again 🤗
Ha! Polly & Rachel are good at recipes kids like! (And adults too.) So glad you and your girls enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.
I have been making this soup for years and is a favorite. I have Gluten Free eaters so I sub GF noodles instead of tortellini. I have always used Progresso French onion soup but can’t find it anymore. Campbell’s is not GF. Any suggestions of how to make this without the canned French onion soup?
Hi Joni. Thanks for the review! I actually have been making this soup for years without the canned French onion soup. I replace those with 4 cups (1 quart) chicken broth and 1 teaspoon onion powder. I put that in the Cooking Notes of the recipe.
The best soup that I have ever had!!!
Yay! So glad to hear this Dianne. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
Absolutely delicious! Easy to make and freeze for later and tasted just as delicious out of the freezer!
Great news Kara! We love to hear from people after they’ve made it from frozen. We have high standards, but it’s always good to have confirmation from others. Thank you!
Delicious, however to cut down on sodium, I used a dry pkg of onion soup and 4 cups of V8 lower sodium juice. I also used mini ravioli since I had that. Chopped the artichoke as well.
Thanks for the feedback and ideas!
Hi! For this recipe I bought two cans of Campbell’s French Onion Condensed Soup. Each can is 10.5 oz each.
Should I mix each condensed French Onion Soup can with two cups of water to get the four cups liquid you said would be a substitute for it (you said sub would be 4 cups chicken broth with 1 diced onion)?
I have your cookbook in kindle format and was shocked to find out just now the recipe by the same name wasn’t the same as on this website. Makes me nervous because if I had known I would have followed the cookbook but it’s too late now, I bought ingredients according to this site’s recipe since I didn’t know how to print out of a kindle page but could out of your website and I thought the two recipes were exactly the same.
My freezer cooking party is tomorrow – my first, and inspired by your book – but a timely answer would be appreciated, thanks!
Hi LK. I’m so very sorry that I didn’t see your question sooner! You do not need to add water to the condensed soup. Sorry for the confusion. I hope you figured it out for the party.
This sounds awesome! Just wondering though…my girlfriend is on weight watchers. Is there any nutritional information on this? So I can calculate her points
Sorry, I don’t have that but I know there are several apps or websites that you can plug it into to find out.
For the French onion soup, by 2 cans – do you mean 15oz cans? Ready-to-eat soup or condensed? Thanks for helping / I’m looking forward to making this.
Yes–two 15 oz cans.
I should retract my last question – lol – just realizing it only simmers for 15-20 minutes – super quick! I could probably muster up the time for this one. 😉
Ha, ha. No problem. Although your idea sounds like one I’d like to come home to after a long day…just add tortellini and eat. Nice.
These recipes are great! So glad I stumbled upon them! Do you think making this recipe in the slow cooker would work alright? Or would the ingredients come out to mushy? I was thinking maybe throwing everything in the slow cooker, except the tortellini, and then adding it for the last 30-60 minutes. I just wonder about the other ingredients, or if you’ve ever tested it/made any revisions to accommodate a slow cooker! 🙂 Thanks!
Ok. I don’t do artichoke, at least I don’t think I do… How much will it effect the taste if I leave it out?
I think it will be ok if you leave it out. But, really, I don’t think you’ll notice them if you use them. They melt right in and are awesome!
If using this for a freezer club – do you supply the tortellini or does the family add that to their shopping list the week they’d plan on defrosting and using the soup?
We did actually supply a small baggie of tortellini for each family since it’s integral to the dish.
This soup was fabulous!! My kids loved it as well! Thank you for this recipe!
Thanks for letting me know. We always love it, but it’s nice to hear it turned out well for you too!
Does the freezing affect the integrity of the pasta?
I love your posts!
Hi Alicia,
I don’t freeze this soup with the cooked tortellini in it. I just make it without, and then add the tortellini when I’m ready to eat it. Thanks for reading!
Rachel
I think it adds nice flavor, but I make it a lot without it and it’s great. Every jalepeno is different, so some are more spicy than others. You could try just throwing in part of one?
Hi There
Would like to try this for my hubby,but with a whole jalapeño thrown in, does it make it really spicy or just add a nice flavor tnx.
This is SO GOOD! I’m only cooking for 2 people, so instead of doubling the recipe to cook 1 batch and freeze 1 batch, I made 1 batch and split THAT in half. We ate half of it lastnight and got about 4-5 bowls…and I froze the second half (pasta separate). I had mushrooms in the fridge, so I threw them in and it was great! The jalepeno I used added a moderate amount of heat, but I like that. Thank you.
Woo hoo! Love hearing that. Sounds like you cook like I do…throwing in whatever is left in the fridge. Smart strategy!