You probably know, by now, that I love an easy one-pot dinner and this Sausage Tortellini Soup recipe is the perfect one that can be made in under 20 minutes. It’s a creamy tomato-based soup loaded with Italian sausage, spinach, white cheddar, and tortellini. This recipe is warm and comforting, and the perfect go-to weeknight dinner when you need to get something quick and delicious on the dinner table.
What I love most about this sausage tortellini soup is how reliable it is. On nights when I don’t want to fuss with a long ingredient list or a sink full of pans, this recipe comes through every time. The sausage browns quickly, the tortellini cooks right in the broth, and the cream and cheddar give it that extra finishing touch without any extra work. It’s straightforward, comforting, and one of those dinners everyone’s happy to see on the table. Want similar soup recipes? Try my Chicken Poblano Soup or Stuffed Pepper Soup Recipe.
😍 Why You’ll Love This Sausage Tortellini Soup Recipe
One-pot wonder: everything cooks together in a single pot, making clean-up quick and painless.
Ready in under 20 minutes: perfect for busy weeknights when you need something fast, warm, and truly satisfying.
Creamy and comforting: the combination of tomato sauce, heavy cream, cheddar, and tender tortellini makes every spoonful cozy and flavourful.
Hearty and filling: loaded with sausage, pasta, and spinach, this soup eats like a full meal without extra sides.
Easily customizable: swap the sausage, change the greens, or add more veggies; it’s flexible enough to make your own.
🥣 Ingredients To Make This Sausage Tortellini Soup
Tortellini: I use a three-cheese tortellini, which becomes perfectly tender and creamy as it simmers in the broth. It’s the heart of this soup and makes it feel extra comforting.
Italian sausage: mild or hot both work; browning the sausage first gives the soup its savoury, deeply flavourful base.
Yellow onion: softens quickly and adds a gentle sweetness that rounds out the tomato broth.
Garlic: adds warmth and layers of flavour to each spoonful.
Spinach: wilts into the soup, adding colour, freshness, and a bit of extra nourishment.
White cheddar: melts into the broth and creates that rich, creamy finish.
Tomato sauce: forms the tomato base of the soup.
Chicken broth: adds savoury depth and thins the tomato sauce just enough for the tortellini to cook evenly. Low-sodium works best so you can season to taste.
Heavy cream: gives the soup its velvety texture while balancing the acidity of the tomato.
Dried basil: adds a soft, herbal note.
Dried oregano: is essential for that classic Italian-inspired flavour.
Red pepper flakes: a small pinch for gentle heat—you can always add more at the end.
Salt: enhances every flavour in the pot. Start modestly and adjust at the end.
Pepper: adds a subtle warmth and balances the richness of the broth.
Parmesan (optional): adds a salty, nutty finish that complements the creamy tomato base perfectly.
✔ How To Make This Sausage Tortellini Soup Recipe
To start, remove the casing from the Italian sausage and chop it into small pieces. Set it aside while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.
Next, finely chop your onion and garlic, and roughly chop the spinach. Shred the white cheddar cheese and keep everything close by.
Heat a large deep pan over medium–high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the sausage and begin breaking it into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook for 2–3 minutes, or until the sausage is lightly browned.
Add in the chopped onion and garlic and sauté for another 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions begin to soften and the mixture smells fragrant.
Pour in the tomato sauce, chicken broth, and heavy cream, then add the tortellini and all of the seasonings. Stir well to combine.
🤝 Sammy’s Tips for Sausage Tortellini Soup
- Once you empty the tomato sauce jar, add a generous splash of water, shake it, and pour it in so you don’t waste any sauce.
- If you prefer a thinner soup, you can add an extra ½ cup of chicken broth to loosen it up.
Cover the pot and let the soup simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the tortellini begin to soften.
Once the tortellini are nearly cooked, stir in the shredded white cheddar and chopped spinach. Cover again and let the soup simmer for another 1–2 minutes, or until the cheese has fully melted and the tortellini are tender. Taste and adjust any seasonings as needed.
Dish up into bowls and finish with a sprinkle of parmesan, extra chili flakes, and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy! Want to see the recipe in action. Watch here.
🗒 Variations
Make it spicy: add red pepper flakes or a small pinch of cayenne for a gentle kick.
Boost the veggies: Stir in mushrooms, zucchini, or bell peppers when you sauté the onions and garlic. They add more flavour, colour, and a bit of extra heartiness.
🗒 Substitutions
Different sausage: Use hot Italian sausage, mild sausage, chicken sausage, or even turkey sausage.
No tortellini? Substitute with small pasta shapes like rotini, penne, orecchiette, or shells. Just cook them a bit longer and stir often so they don’t stick.
Dairy-free options: Use coconut milk or an unsweetened dairy-free creamer in place of heavy cream, skip the cheddar, and choose a non-filled pasta instead of cheese tortellini.
No chicken broth? Vegetable broth works perfectly and keeps the soup just as flavourful.
🍴 Leftovers? Lucky You.
Leftover Sausage Tortellini Soup reheats like a dream. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, and when you’re ready for round two, warm it gently on the stove with a splash of chicken stock or water to loosen it up.
As for freezing, I don’t recommend it for this one. The tortellini tends to soften too much once thawed, and it changes the overall texture. Since this soup comes together so quickly, you’re better off making it fresh whenever the craving hits.
🤔 FAQ’S
How can I make this sausage tortellini soup dairy free?
Instead of using a cheese filled tortellini, use a smaller pasta such as penne or rigatoni. In addition, use a dairy free creamer such as coconut milk or almond milk, and remove the added shredded cheese. The overall texture may not be as thick and creamy, but it will still be really delicious.
Can I use a different type of pasta if I don’t use tortellini?
You bet! This recipe can be made using any type of smaller pasta. You will just need to cook the pasta longer and I recommend stirring the pasta often to avoid it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Can I use vegetable stock in place of chicken stock?
You sure can, and it will still be really delicious.
My soup thickened in the fridge. What should I do?
Totally normal! Just add a splash of broth or water until it reaches your preferred consistency.
What tomato sauce works best?
A smooth passata like Mutti gives the broth that silky, creamy finish. Chunky sauces work too but will change the texture slightly.
👩🏻🍳 Hungry For More?
If you loved this Sausage Tortellini Soup recipe, then make sure to check out a few of my other soups you may also love:
💌 Let’s Stay Connected
Keep in touch with me on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Pinterest! If you do make this sausage tortellini soup recipe (or any recipe of mine) don’t forget to leave a review.
Sausage and Tortellini Soup
Equipment
- 1 large pot
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 package tortellini (500 gram pack), I use 3 cheese
- 1 package italian sausage (500 grams or 5 links), chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 handfuls spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2¼ cup tomato sauce,
- 3 cups chicken broth, low sodium
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup parmesan, optional to garnish
- fresh basil, optional to garnish
Instructions
- Begin by removing the casing from the Italian sausage and chopping it into smaller bite sized pieces. Set aside until ready to use.
- Next, chop your onion, garlic and spinach then shred your white cheddar cheese and set aside until ready to use.
- Bring a large, deep pot to medium/high heat and add your olive oil – once hot add your Italian sausage. Using a large spoon break down the sausage into smaller pieces (if desired) and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the sausage begins to brown.
- Add your onion and garlic and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes, allowing the onion to soften and the sausage to cook nearly the entire way through.
- Add your tomato sauce, chicken broth, heavy cream, and seasionings. Bring to a boil, then add your tortellini. Cover and let simmer on low for about 5 minutes.
- Once the tortellini is nearly cooked, add your cheese and spinach. Cover and let simmer on low/medium heat for another 1-2 minutes, or until the tortellini is fully cooked and the cheese has melted. Sammy's tip: if you want a thinner soup, simply add another cup of chicken broth. Before serving taste to see if the soup needs any additional salt, this will depend if you used a salted stock or not.
- Serve, and garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this tonight, and it was a perfect hearty, but quick, meal. My husband and 18-20 yo boys liked it; I liked it; it did not make a huge mess; and it used ingredients I usually have in the pantry and freezer. (I used bulk sausage and cooked it thoroughly first because that is what I have in the freezer.) It will definitely move into the regular rotation.
Hi Terri! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review. I so appreciate it, and I am so glad your family enjoyed this easy recipe.
Cheers.
Sammy
Made this tonight for family of 6 and we all loved it. It was so simple and delicious! Will be making again!!
Hi Lisa! Thank YOU for leaving such a wonderful review. I am so happy you all loved it!!
We made this for dinner tonight in snowy Chicago – even my picky kiddo had 2 bowls. This is definitely going into our family dinner rotation! Thank you for a delicious and easy recipe!
This was so quick and yummy! I made it with vegetarian sausage and my toddler gobbled it up. Thank you 😊
Hi Amanda! That is so awesome, thank you for sharing!
3rd recipe I’ve made by Sammy, my 4th is currently in the oven as I type this. I live and breathe from these recipes. This soup was amazingggg, perfect blend of cheeses, sauces, and meats. If I could live off this meal, I certainly would. Super easy and heats very well days to follow! Thank you as always! Xo
Making tonight for the second time. Loved it. Flavorful and simple. Both husband and kids loved it. Can’t ask for more. Now when I make something new they ask if it’s from Sammy! Thank you so much.
This is SO delicious! Easy to follow directions and cooks in one pan. This is definitely a great recipe and I will use it often.
This recipe is delicious and easy to make even for a novice. It’s definitely a meal that I will include often into my meal plans.
Super quick and easy recipe, tasted so good!
I’ve made this at least 10 times now for my family. I brought a big batch to work and now at least 5 of my coworkers have put it in their dinner rotation. Easy and delicious.
Quick, easy and delicious! The whole family loved it.
My family loved this! Quick and easy to make. Will definitely be making this again
Made this tonight. Very easy and delicious meal. Great for a lazy Sunday or weekday meal. We made garlic bread to go with it.
My husband doesn’t even like soup and he LOVED this! I used Kerrygold reserve white cheddar from Costco which made it so rich and creamy! Thanks for another great winter recipe!
Loved how quickly this came together. Perfect for a busy weeknight!
My family loved this!
5/5 stats for easy and taste! I made a big pot- doubled the recipe- and shared with neighbors during the recent snow storm. We ALL LOVED it. This will become a staple and regular during “soup season” in my house. Love your recipes!
Hello Kristina, Thank you for taking the time out of your day to send a review. So glad that all of you enjoyed the soup.
– Sammy
This worked exactly as written, thanks!