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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

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Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage and Kale

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

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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  • Martha

    What can I use in place of kale.

    Spinach would work well here. Hope you enjoy!

  • 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!

  • Ali

    This soup is incredible! Warm, comforting and so savory! Its perfect as is, but i sometimes add a few extra veggies (chopped carrots, cauli, broccoli) and they fit right in.

    Thanks Ali, we are so glad you loved it!

  • Lauren

    Amazing recipe that everyone loves. I think the only Modern Proper recipe I make more often is The Kale Salad. Whenever someone needs a meal - whether they're sick, just had a baby, whatever - this is what we bring and they all ask for a recipe. The only small change I've made is boiling the tortellini/storing any leftovers separately. We usually polish it all off but if we don't, it helps them avoid getting mushy when we reheat.

    Thanks Lauren, we are so happy that you love this recipe so much!!

  • Kelly

    This came together easily and quickly and my husband literally said its one of his top 3 favorite meals ever!! So much flavor in such a simple recipe. Served with crusty bread and the parm on top! FANTASTIC!

    WOW! High praise. Thanks Kelly, we are so glad you and your husband loved it!

  • Ginny

    Also serve broiled garlic bread to serve with dinner. Yum!

    Glad you loved it Ginny!

  • Elena

    I made this tonight and we love it! The only thing is, I made it a little thicker by adding flour and added a little bit more heavy cream. It was delicious! Thank youf or this recipe!

    So glad you loved it Elena!