A quick, easy and delicious dinner! This Sausage Tortellini Soup is a family favorite and the perfect weeknight meal. Enjoy with a hunk of crusty bread.
Dear Universe,
I implore you to make this Sausage Tortellini Soup, don’t disappoint me. It’s not asking for much. It’s likely you have at least half of the ingredients in your home already. You will thank me after one bite, however you won’t be able to stop eating this. Sorry about that. It’s addictive.
I know I tell you all to make things all the time, like my Dill Pickle Soup or my Upside Down Apple Pie, but this soup…really, you must. If not just for the fact it’s so easy to put together and it’s just ridiculously tasty.
And by the way, does anyone remember when the refrigerated tortellini’s came on the scene? I feel like one day they just appeared in grocery stores and have lived on ever since. They certainly weren’t around when I was a kid, or at least we never bought them.
Anyway, this soup…it’s the weekend, just do it.
I made the sausage into little “balls”. Well, I started to roll them in little balls and quickly got bored. So I started smushing little bits together and throwing them into the hot frying pan. They cook really quickly, but do make them in two batches. You really want them to have some very browned edges. Save the grease for sauteing your onion.
The meat is the most labor intensive part of this meal and even making that is really nothing. This couldn’t be simpler to throw together and is pure, pure comfort food.
I won’t mention how good this Sausage Tortellini Soup is with a hunk of crusty bread.
You might want to double this recipe.
If you love soup, there are so many to choose from. Some of my favorites….start with this Creamy Butternut Squash Soup, it’s amazing. If you love Chicken Soup, here are 14 Creative Ways Chicken Soup can be done, they are all fabulous. This Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheddar Soup is the bomb…trust me. When you need dinner on the table fast, this 20-Minute Chicken Parmesan Soup is going to be your new best friend. And perfect for the fall season is this Pumpkin Curry Soup. Enjoy them all.
Three years ago I made these Healthier Crispy Chicken Fingers with Honey-Mustard Sauce and they are still a kid-favorite in my house. Four years ago this Classic Split Pea became a stellar way to enjoy a fall season soup. Five years ago I made this White Bean Dip and we still love dipping crackers into it every time this yummy appetizer is made again.
Sausage Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
- 1 (16 oz) Jimmy Dean All Natural Regular Pork Sausage*
- 1-1/2 cups chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic, pressed
- 4 cups (32 oz) chicken stock (not broth)
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
- 1 (5 oz) can tomato paste
- 1 Tablespoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 Tablespoon dried basil leaves
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon dried red chili peppers
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 oz cheese tortellini
- 3 oz fresh baby spinach leaves
Directions
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Make little balls of sausage by just squishing them together with your hands and dropping them into hot pan (see picture). Do this in two batches. Brown all sides and completely cook them through. Remove onto a paper-towel lined plate. Saute onions in the fat leftover from the pork until soft; about 8 minutes. Add pressed garlic and saute for 30 seconds more.
- Meanwhile, add chicken stock, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, sugar, chili peppers, pepper and salt to a large, heavy bottomed soup pot and bring to a boil. Add onion-garlic mixture and simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered. With a potato masher, crush down into soup, slightly breaking up tomatoes and onions. You will not be able to do a lot of crushing but a little will be just fine.
- Add tortellini and cook according to package directions, usually about 7-9 minutes. Add in cooked sausage and stir in spinach until just wilted.
- Serve immediately.
- *For total deliciousness, I highly recommend using this sausage. It is already seasoned and imparts the perfect flavor to the soup. It's widely available in the United States.
- Serving size: 1-1/2 cups
- Calories: 433
- Fat: 20.4 g
- Saturated fat: 7.3 g
- Unsaturated fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 41.1 g
- Sugar: 14 g
- Fiber: 6.3 g
- Protein: 22.1 g
- Cholesterol: 60.7 mg
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Suzanne Velez says
This looks delicious! It’s snowing right now and this would be absolutely perfect for lunch. Thank you Cathy for another delightful recipe; you are the best!
Kristin says
Wow! This looks so good! And your commentary is hilarious! đŸ™‚ Happy Friday!
Anne from Olympia says
This little piece of the Universe is making this soup this weekend.
Samantha says
It’s snowing outside right now. I could go for a big bowl of this with some crusty bread! đŸ˜€
Angie | Big Bear's Wife says
I literally want to reach into that photo with a spoon and grab some! Cathy, it looks delicious!
Letticia Garcia says
Do you think Italian sausages would work? If not will look for the jimmy dean! lol
Yummy food as always!
Cathy says
It would work, it just won’t be this soup. Jimmy Dean is not Italian sausage, it has it’s own seasoning which made this soup really special.
Letticia Garcia says
thanks!
Connie says
This looks delish! I’m definitely going to be making this one. I was just wondering about your comment to use stock, not broth. I always thought they were one in the same, or at least interchangeable?
Cathy says
They are interchangeable but have a very different flavor. Stock has more of a richly, robust, meaty flavor. Stock is made from more boney parts while broth uses meat. It’s very different. Stock is widely available in stores now.
Connie says
Thanks for the response! I’ll look for stock at the store. đŸ˜‰
Jamie says
I’m with Connie. I didn’t realize there was a difference! I’ll have to check my soup isle and pay more attention when I go shopping!
Jamie says
Got around to making this last night. SOOO good. My husband brought left overs for lunch today. I keep a box of our favorite recipes printed on recipe cards and the first thing he said when he got home was, “that soup is making it into the recipe box, right?”
Thanks for another great meal.
katie says
I love tortellini soup. Love the idea of adding in bits of sausage to make it heartier!
Tallie Noble says
I made this soup tonight and it is delicious! My husband is loving it and loving me for making it! Thank you so much for the recipe!!!
Cathy says
So glad to hear it! Thanks!!
Gretchen @ Two Healthy Kitchens says
Hi Cathy! So glad I found this recipe tonight! đŸ™‚ This looks awesome!!! I can almost smell the soup cooking on the stovetop! Mmmm … those seasonings from the sausage and the added oregano and basil – I can’t wait to try this! I can see why you would beg the universe to make this – deeeelish!
Michael Foley says
This came across my Facebook Feed the day after I made some Dominican Sausage, all the leftovers went in and it was REALLY good.
Linda Dalton says
This looks yummy Cathy. I made myself a tortellini ratatouille soup with mini meatballs tonight and it was heaven. Now I have to make yours with the sausage. Cold weather= comfort food. Thanks as always for sharing:)
dawn bertch says
i’m making this right now. it smells so amazing.
Kevin @ Closet Cooking says
What a tasty soup!
Ann says
This looks amazing! I am trying to do this whole fill my freezer thing so do you think it freezes well or would the pasta double in size?
Cathy says
Hmmm, I don’t know about the tortellini, they might explode. It’s hard to say without having done it.
Jessica says
You coul always make the soup and leave the tortellini and spinach out until serving time. Just thaw the soup and bring it to a boil as you would a fresh batch, then add in the tortellini and spinach.
Kathy Davis says
This is very good. I couldn’t find fresh tortellini, so used frozen and it worked fine. The flavors are very hearty and the soup tastes like it cooked a lot longer than it did and it looked exactly like the picture. We had enough left for another dinner. Making the little meatballs was time consuming and messy, but it was worth it. I agree, Jimmy Dean has the best seasoning.
Kathleen Allgood says
Absolutely delicious! I even used dried cheese tortellini (keeping soup warming while pasta reconstituted) instead of fresh & it turned out great. Included a parmesan rind while cooking to deepen flavors -yum!
William Shuey says
I have made this in a variety of ways. I have made it with spicy Italian sausage to add a little kick. I have also made it with sweet Italian sausage as well and it turned out really really good.
Aileen Miles says
I made this with hot Italian chicken sausage tonight. It turned out thick and beautiful, very spicy and delicious. Everyone loved it!
Alice says
Good Gosh Golly! This soup is so very good! I’ve made it twice. First time, my only change was to use 1 tsp. dried oregano & 1 tsp. dried basil because 1 tbsp. of each sounded too much for my family & they loved it! Second time I made it, I used 5 oz. fresh baby spinach leaves.
I found this recipe on Facebook’s the noble pig site too & wanted to say how good it was, but I can’t find it now. I’d love to tell how much my family liked this recipe & share on Facebook.
Cathy says
Glad you liked the soup and want to share it on Facebook. However, you don’t need to find it on my Facebook page to be able to do that. All you have to do is copy and paste the link to this recipe into your Facebook status and it will come up. At the end of this post is also a Facebook Share buton you can use to share to your page.
Candi says
Great soup! My store only had Jimmy Dean sausage sage flavor, but it’s great! And I threw in a 6oz pkg of baby spinach because I love greens in soup. The amounts of dried herb were perfect. Added a couple more cups of stock, too. Will make it again….
BTW – this works perfectly with dried tortellini.
Tracey Struthers says
I wonder what kind of sausage would go well in it. I live in Canada, I don’t think we can get Jimmy Dean here.
Cathy says
Something seasoned.
Candi says
Used chicken Italian sausage and garnished each serving with grated Parm Reggiano. Used a 28oz can crushed tomatoes. Delicious!
Rosalyn Tangorra says
Made this soup tonight with Italian Sausage. Since I did not have fresh spinach so use frozen and added a can of small white beans. Served with crusty Italian Bread and it was a WOW!
Cathy says
Glad to hear it.
EV says
Was wondering if I made this for a potluck, how does the tortellini/spinach hold up if being kept warm but not served for a couple hours?
Cathy says
Stir in the spinach right before serving.
Sondra Carter says
This looks delicious making a list of ingredients I will need to make this today. Was wondering if it is spicy hot with the red pepper flakes ? We don’t like spicy ? not . Think you for all your great recipes !
Cathy says
Leave them out or add them in, in small doses.
Lauren says
One of my 4 yr olds was very concerned about the onion in this, so we blended it before adding the tortellini, and it was great!
Patricia R Kelley says
What exactly is the difference in ‘BROTH” and “STOCK”????
Cathy says
There are three important factors that differentiate stock and broth: the ingredients, cook time, and the presence (or lack) of seasoning. Stock is made by simmering a combination of animal bones (which typically contain some scraps of meat), mirepoix (a mixture of onions, carrots, and celery), and aromatics in water. Stock always involves bones, although not necessarily meat. broth is any liquid that has had meat cooked in it. It is made my simmering meat (which can contain bones, but does not have to), mirepoix, and aromatics in water for a relatively short amount of time, usually under two hours. Unlike stock, broth is typically seasoned. It finishes as a thin, flavorful liquid that does not gel when chilled, and is used in all the same ways you’d use stock, including soups, sauces, and braises. And since it’s seasoned, it is flavorful and delicious sipped on its own.
Loretta Maxwell says
I dont normally comment on recipes however this is one of those “once in life time” finds! People always wanting me to make this for them. It is a family and FRIEND favorite. I follow the recipe as is. Thank you sooooo much for such a great recipe that will live on for generations in family.
Cathy says
So glad to hear it!
alicia says
I used my homemade Italian sausage and used red pepper flakes instead of the chili …I was out of it….but this tortellini soup came out amazing!