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    Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage and Kale

    September 3, 2024

    This ultra creamy Tortellini Soup is an absolute crowd pleaser. It's the perfect cozy meal for fall and only takes 30 minutes to make.

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    Tortellini soup with sausage and kale topped with fresh parmesan in a bowl

    Creamy Tortellini Soup

    We’ve taken everything you love about cold weather comfort food and easy 30 Minute Dinners, and threw it all into one pot for a weeknight dish that dreams are made of. The only things missing from this creamy tortellini soup is a loaf of Crusty Bread to soak up that brothy tomato bisque base and a bottle of good wine. Serve it with a Simple Italian Salad or Antipasto Salad and Garlic Bread.

    homemade creamy tomato tortellini soup with sausage and kale in a large soup pot with a ladle

    Making Tortellini Soup Your Dish

    You won’t believe how flavorful this pot of soup is, and we’re so excited for you to try it. Full of Italian sausage, tortellini, tomatoes, kale, and a touch of cream for good measure (wink wink). This is like our Tomato Bisque meets our Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden for life). It’s a meal your friends and family will ask for over and over again. We all want to be famous for something, right? You can also turn to a few of our make-all-the-time Italian standards: Classic Lasagna, Chicken Cacciatore, or Baked Ziti.

    ingredients for creamy tortellini soup: Italian sausage, kale, crushed tomatoes, chicken stock and Parmesan in small bowls

    What Goes Into Tortellini Soup?

    The thing we love so much about tortellini soup is how versatile it is. We like to stick with a cheese-filled pasta and add the other ingredients to the soup. Buying a meat (or other flavor) filled tortellini wouldn’t be bad, but cheese tortellini creates a nice base flavor (it’s what we use in our Chicken Tortellini Soup too), plus it really compliments that creamy tortellini soup taste. For even more inspiration, be sure to check out our 30 Best Soup Recipes post!

    Other Star Ingredients of Tortellini Soup

    • Mild Italian sausage or make it a vegetarian tortellini soup by simply leaving out the sausage!

    • A can of crushed tomatoes and a little tomato paste, for the tomato sauce base

    • Onion and garlic (add amazing flavor)

    • Kale (gotta have a few veggies right?)

    • Chicken stock & cream

    • Salt and red pepper flakes

    italian sausage browned in a soup pot for tortellini soup
    browned Italian sausage, chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste in a soup pot for tortellini soup
    Italian sausage, crushed tomatoes, chicken stock tortellini, cream and kale added to a soup pot for tortellini soup
    a large pot of homemade tortellini soup with Italian sausage and kale

    How Do You Make Easy Tortellini Soup?

    We know you'll love this super easy tortellini soup, because it's one of the most flavorful dishes we’ve made in a long time, and anyone who's tried it feels the same. All it takes is a few easy steps:

    1. Brown the sausage until cooked half way through.

    2. Add onions and garlic.

    3. Add chicken broth, a can of crushed tomatoes and a little tomato paste.

    4. Simmer and season with salt.

    5. Add kale, cream and tortellini.

    6. Serve!

    How long does sausage tortellini soup last in the fridge? *If* it makes it to leftover status, and we'd be surprised if it does. You can store this tortellini soup in the refrigerator for up to five days and warm it up in the microwave or stovetop.

    a large pot of homemade Tortellini Soup With Italian Sausage And Kale

    Tips for Making the Best Tortellini Soup

    This soup is 100% dependable and hard to screw up, but just in case, we’re here with a few tips and tricks to make sure your dinner is as successful as possible.

    1. Kale and spinach wilt very quickly. They just need a few minutes in the hot broth to soften enough to be easily consumed without taking on a soggy texture.

    2. Fresh tortellini take just a few minutes to cook through, so for that perfect al dente toothsome texture, it’s best to add it a few minutes before serving.

    3. Adding the cream slowly at the end will help keep it from curdling.

    4. Make it your own by adding zucchini, chicken sausage or spinach tortellini...the possibilities are endless.

    a bowl of tortellini soup with Italian sausage and kale topped with shaved parmesan next to red pepper flakes for serving

    Tools For Tortellini Soup

    More Creamy Soups from The Modern Proper

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    Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage and Kale

    Updated on September 3, 2024

    • Serves:  6
    • Prep Time:  5 min
    • Cook Time:  30 min
    • Calories:  368
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    Ingredients

    • 1 pound mild italian sausage, ground or casing removed
    • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
    • 6 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 quart chicken stock
    • 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
    • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 bunch curly kale, stemmed and roughly torn
    • 10 ounces fresh tortellini
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • Parmesan cheese, grated for serving (optional)
    • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, for serving (optional)

    Method

    1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, onions, and garlic and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until it is browned and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Drain off any excessive fat.

      italian sausage browned in a soup pot for tortellini soup

    2. Whisk in the chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste until fully incorporated. Bring to a boil and add the salt, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until slightly reduced, about 15 minutes.

      browned Italian sausage, chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste in a soup pot for tortellini soup

    3. Stir in the kale, tortellini, and cream. Cook until the kale is wilted and the pasta is tender, 3-5 minutes.

      Italian sausage, crushed tomatoes, chicken stock tortellini, cream and kale added to a soup pot for tortellini soup

    4. Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan and red pepper flakes, if desired, before serving.

      homemade creamy tomato tortellini soup with sausage and kale in a large soup pot with a ladle

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 368
    • Protein 19 g
    • Carbohydrates 24 g
    • Total Fat 22 g
    • Dietary Fiber 4 g
    • Cholesterol 64 mg
    • sodium 1497 mg
    • Total Sugars 5 g

    Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage and Kale

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Chelsea

      Does this soup freeze well? Could you also cook the sausage whole and slice it to add to the soup for someone who doesn't like ground meat?

      Yes to both!

    • Jade

      Hi! Im having a baby next month and am stalking up the freezer with postpartum meals. This soup is an favourite and I would love to have it on hand. Do you have any recommendations for storing in the freezer?

      Stores great! Just let it cool completely then freeze for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight then reheat. Hope you enjoy!

    • Ginny

      We are not fans of kale. Would fresh spinach work as a substitute?
      Thank you!

      Totally!

    • Brandon

      Id like to make this for hunting camp. Im wondering if I can make the soup portion a couple of days ahead of time (to be stored in jugs in a chilled cooler, no fridge/electricity at camp) and add the tortellini and kale when cooking. In other words, does the base hold up? A dozen hungry hunters thank you in advance.

      Yes, that should work fine! Never hurts to do a test run before you go though!

    • Elizabeth

      What would you suggest to make this vegetarian?

      You could omit the sausage.

    • Christina

      Our family loves this dish so much, Ive made it so many times! A couple tweaks I do, I halve the amount of Italian sausage (to stretch $, I buy a 1 lb pack and vacuum seal and freeze the remainder for the next time I make this recipe) but keep everything else the same because I like the amount of sauce it makes. Also, we prefer to wilt baby spinach at the very end instead of kale. Reminds me of a meat and vegetable soup that I loved from an Italian restaurant called Cappriciosa that I havent lived near in years.

      Thanks Christina, we are so glad your family loved it!

    • Katy

      I love this recipe. I've tried a crockpot version before and it just cooked it to death. My package of tortellini was bigger than this called for, so I added more stock and crushed tomatoes. I also added the red pepper flakes while it was simmering (I like a little bite), Italian seasoning, parsley, and basil. The lack of seasoning in the recipe was surprising. Overall, I liked it and will definitely make it again. I can't wait to try more of your soup recipes!

      Glad you enjoyed it Katy, yes if you add more stock you'll definitely need to up the spices.

    • Chris

      This is an amazing recipe. My family loves it. This is the second time making it. Had to write a review because its so good.

      Thanks Chris, we appreciate you taking the time to write a review. We are so glad you love it!

    • Lucy

      This is maybe my favorite soup ever. I have made it every fall and winter for two years now, and it is just tasty as I remember every time. I dont even like kale! But because it is wilted and in such a flavorful broth, you really get a better flavor and texture than I usually associate with kale. I cant recommend this recipe enough and have given it out to friends and family more times than I can count - everyone loves it! If youre reading this, youve gotta try it for yourself.

      Thanks Lucy, so happy that this has been a long time favorite of yours!

    • Hayden

      My second favorite soup, only beat out by your Golden Soup recipe! Whenever I need to impress someone during soup season, this is what I make. Delicious!

      YAY! So awesome to hear, thanks Hayden!