Hearty Tortellini Soup With Sausage
This cozy Italian sausage and tortellini soup is delicious and takes less than 15 minutes to make in an Instant Pot. A bowl of creamy tomato-based broth, sausage, cheesy soft tortellini, and a generous sprinkle of parmesan is filling and flavorful.
I have made this recipe in an Instant Pot because, you know, it’s the cool kitchen gadget everyone is raving about. But nothing changes if you make it in a slow cooker or on the stovetop.
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Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup is hearty and delicious. Made with flavorful Italian sausage, tortellini pasta, garlic, onion, and tomato, this soup has a light, hearty broth. A complete meal in itself, so you don’t have to worry about making a side, or maybe a simple leafy green salad is just enough. Best of all, it is made in an instant pot in just 15 minutes. But you can easily make this on a stove top too.
Winter is slowly setting in, and soups are frequently appearing on our dinner table. So definitely, you will see more and more soup recipes here on the blog for the next couple of months.
Tortellini soup with Italian sausage
Tomato-based soup is one of our favorites at home. I love the refreshingly sweet and tangy taste that tomatoes give. If you are a regular reader, then I am sure you have tried One-pot Italian Sausage Orzo Soup( Reader’s all-time favourite) or this simple Tomato Bisque.
You can also look at another tortellini soup that is a reader favorite: Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup. Another one with just a tomato base is Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup.
I have made a few dishes with sausage. Sausages are versatile and add a bomb of flavor to any protein or vegetable you pair with them. I have paired pappardelle pasta with sausage, have a sheet pan recipe with potatoes, baked pasta with sausage and cheese, and also slow-cooked a stew with sausage and chickpeas.
Ingredients
- Dried cheese tortellini – dried tortellini stores well and is what you find commonly on store shelves. It puffs up when it comes in contact with hot water or stock. The cheese stuffed in tortellini offers a rich bite. Frozen ones will work too.
- Italian sausage – You can get mild or spicy Italian sausage, so get one as per your taste preference. Sauage makes this soup filling.
- Olive oil – You can’t make anything closely related to Italian without this.
- Onion and garlic – my favorite aromatics that offer a savory taste and depth to the cooked sausage.
- Crushed tomatoes and tomato paste – Crushed tomatoes give you that chunky bite, and you add some tomato paste, which is much thicker, to add a deeper flavor with less.
- Chicken stock – adds depth of flavor and umami to the base of the soup.
- Half and half – this is part cream and part milk, has a balanced consistency, and is not as heavy and rich as heavy cream.
- Parmesan cheese – parmesan thickens the broth while adding a dash of umami.
- Italian seasoning – a popular spice blend that brings characteristic Italian flavors
- Chilli flakes and parsley – sprinkle chili flakes for a little heat and garnish with freshly chopped parsley.
- Salt – be careful with the salt, as the stock has some. Taste and add accordingly.
Other Additions – Add a handful of kale or spinach to make it a filling meal. Sneak in veggies like carrots, red bell peppers etc.
How to make sausage and tortellini soup
I have made this recipe in an Instant Pot because, you know, it’s the cool kitchen gadget everyone is raving about. But nothing changes if you make it in a slow cooker or on the stovetop. The first step to sauté aromatics and cook sausage is common, no matter which gadget you use to make the soup.
Cook aromatics and sausage
The first part is to sauté the onion and garlic and cook the sausage. To cook in an instant pot, follow the entire recipe instructions in the pot itself. But, to cook with a slow cooker or stovetop, the following steps are to be done in a pan, and then the mixture is shifted to the cooker or continued on the pan.
- Heat oil in a pan(in the case of an Instant pot, in the inner pot itself). Saute chopped onion for a couple of minutes until it turns soft. Add minced garlic and sauté for a minute until the raw smell goes away.
- Add the broken sausage to the pan and cook until it no longer looks pink.
To make an Instant Pot
Next, add the crushed tomatoes, paste, seasoning, salt, and stock to the pot. Mix everything well, and also scrape the bottom to remove the bits stuck to the bottom to ensure you are not getting any burn notifications.
Add dried tortellini (don’t stir it, let it sit on top)and cover the lid. Let the pressure build and do its magic, cooking the ingredients. When it is time, release the pressure and uncover the pot. Add half and half, and mix well. Let it simmer for half a minute.
Serve by garnishing with grated parmesan and chopped parsley.
To make in a Slow Cooker
There is nothing like a house filled with the aroma of soup cooking slowly in a slow cooker. So if you want the soup to be slowly cooking in the crockpot the whole day and ready by dinner time, then here is how you will make it.
Follow the instructions mentioned in the first step to sauté the aromatics and cook the sausage in a pan on the stovetop.
Then shift the sausage mixture to the slow cooker and add the rest of the ingredients, except the tortellini and cream. Cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 4-5 hours. Add dried tortellini and cream to the slow cooker and cook for another 30 minutes.
To make on the stovetop.
Making this soup on the stovetop is pretty straightforward. You can finish the cooking on the soup pot itself, making this a one-pot dish.
Use a heavy-bottomed soup pot/ dutch oven. Follow the instructions mentioned in the first step to sauté the aromatics and cook the sausage. Add the other ingredients, i.e., tomatoes, seasoning, stock, and salt.
Mix well and let it come to a boil, then lower the heat. Let the stock cook on low for 10 minutes. Then add dried tortellini.
Let it cook until it is firm but soft to the bite. Add more stock if required, followed by half and half. Mix everything well and switch off the flame.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use frozen tortellini. In fact, you can use it straight from the freezer without the need to thaw it. Just allow it a few more minutes to cook.
Throw frozen tortellini into the stock and let it cook the same way you do for dried tortellini. You will need to allocate a bit more time, i.e., 4-6 minutes, for it to cook al dante, which is firm but soft to bite.
No. Whole milk is less in fat and it will water down the soup. On the other hand for a rich version, you can use heavy cream.
Use vegetable stock and replace the sausage with mushrooms, which have an earthy umami taste. You may also use vegetarian Italian sausage.
Half and half is nothing but half milk and half heavy cream. It makes a dish creamy without making it too rich. So make your own half and half by adding half part milk and half heavy cream.
Store
This soup is not ideal for freezing. Tortellini pasta, when left too long in broth, will soak up the liquid and swell up. So I wouldn’t freeze this soup with the tortellini in it.
Freeze the soup without adding the tortellini. Cook the soup and let it cool. Store the soup along with the tortellini in separate containers or zip-lock bags.
If there is any leftover and you end up freezing it, then while reheating, loosen the soup by adding more stock to it until the desired consistency is reached.
You can refrigerate the soup for up to four days without the tortellini.
Serve With
This salad with tortellini and veggies is fulfilling and a meal by itself if you want to take it lightly. You can also go with salads, bread, or other sides.
- Salads: Serve with a fresh salad like this Kale White bean Salad or Italian Chopped Salad
- Bread: Soups like this are great to have with bread. White bread like this No-Knead Rustic White Bread or Rosemary Foccacia Bread
Other Soup recipes
- Classic French Onion Soup – A classic staple in French kitchens, this soup has a golden crust made of a layer of cheese over a bowl containing sweet caramelized onions and savory beef broth.
- Healthy Vegetable Soup – You can be versatile with your choice of vegetables while making this healthy and comforting soup.
- Thai Chicken Coconut Soup (Tom Kha soup) – This famous Thai soup made with coconut milk, chicken, and mushrooms is creamy and rich, more like a curry.
- Tomato White Beans Soup – A quick and satisfying soup that has tangy tomatoes, white beans, and parmesan cheese
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup – Chicken and orzo make it fulfilling, while the lemony broth has loads of umami.
- Homemade Tomato Soup – A classic soup that is made from a few ingredients, is tangy, has a hint of sweetness, and is creamy without any cream.
Sausage Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
- 250 grams Dried Cheese Tortellini
- 200 grams Italian Sausage
- 2 teaspoon Olive Oil
- 1 medium Onion
- 1 tablespoon Garlic minced
- 1 can Crushed Tomato (14.5 oz )
- 2 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
- salt to taste
- 4 cups Chicken Stock
- ½ cup Half & Half increase up to 1 cup for a more creamier soup
- Grated parmesan and chopped fresh parsley for serving
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to saute mode. When hot add oil.
- Stir in chopped onion and garlic. Saute for a minute for the onion to soften and raw garlic smell has disappeared.
- Add crumbled sausage to the pan. Brown it for 2 minutes.
- Add crushed tomatoes, Tomato paste, Italian seasoning, chilli flakes, salt and 2 cups stock( reserve the rest to add later). Mix everything well (Scarp bottom of the pan to release any stuck brown bits)
- Stir in dried tortellini.
- Switch to Manual mode. Cover the lid. Set for 4 minutes on high pressure.
- It will take around 5 minutes to come to full pressure and the timer to start.
- When 4 minute ends, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes. Release rest of the pressure manually.
- Once all the pressure is released, carefully open the lid.
- Switch to sautee mode again. Add rest of the stock and half & half. Stir gently.
- Let it cook for another 30 seconds or so. Switch off the pot.
- Serve with grated parmesan and chopped parsley sprinkled on top.
Video
Notes
- Don’t add all the stock at once. If there is too much liquid, then it might come out from the nozzle while releasing the pressure manually.
- The Soup might look a bit on the thinner side initially, but the tortellini will absorb quite a bit of liquid even after you switch off the pot.
- Adjust the amount of salt towards the end. Sausage and the stock both contain some amount of salt.
I’ve been wanting to try this recipe, but have never seen dry tortellini in the store. What brand of dry tortellini do you use? Where do you get it?
Can I use whole milk instead of half and half?
you can but milk would thin out the broth.
Love this recipe so much!!
I used refrigerator pasta and worked fine with 4 minutes. I also left off half and half made a fine tomato based soup.
So glad I tried this recipe! My husband said it was the best dinner I’ve made! Hahaha It was super easy. I purchased all ingredients from Trader Joe’s and it cost me under $25! I added Kale….after the soup is completed…add the kale in to cook for 2-3 minutes before serving. Best part…for just the two of us we have left overs for tomorrow’s lunch!
Can you use the refrigerator tortellini? If so, does it affect the time?
Yes. YOu can use frozen Tortellini. But If you are using Refrigerator Tortellini, the cooking time will reduce. I can not give you an exact cooking time as I have not tried it myself.
Hi! can you double this recipe?? I made it once and all my family loved it so I want to make them some for their respective households! can the instant pot hold double the ingredients? and any thoughts on if the cooking time/instructions should change??
If you are double the recipe I would suggest to use an 8 qt Instant Pot. Rest everything will remain the same.
We tried this soup last night and it was absolutely delicious! One of those rainy, cold nights where you just wanted a cozy bowl of something comforting and this was perfect! Very easy to make and fast! I would highly recommend it!
Hi! This looks delicious and can’t wait to try it. It says dry tortellini. But I already have dozen. Can the frozen one work in place of the dry tortellini?
Yes, it should work
Recipe says a can of diced tomatoes but all instructions say crushed?
It is crushed tomato. Sorry for the confusion.
This soup is delicious!! Has anyone tried it without meat? I wonder if it will be as flavorful…
I just made it without meat and it was so so yummy!! I substituted the sausage with mushrooms and then added some chopped kale at the end. So yummy!
Delicious! I used two packages of tortellini with the same amount of liquids listed in recipe and I used ground Italian chicken sausage. It was so delicious and family devoured it.
Delicious! Used frozen tortellini (1min HP/manual) and a couple handfuls spinach with 1 Cup of light cream. Hearty meal after playing in the snow all afternoon with the kids! Thank you!
This is by far the best soup I’ve made in my IP. Super easy & delicious!
200 gram of sausage is how many 2 or 3 sausage
It’s about 8-10 ounces.
Can you make this with frozen tortellini?
Yes. The exact time I can’t tell as I have not tried.