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This creamy sausage tortellini soup with kale and sun-dried tomatoes is a one-pot dinner ready in 25 minutes!
A lot of sausage tortellini soups are just sausage, broth, and cream. This one gets a quick roux first: flour stirred into the browned sausage, onions, and sun-dried tomatoes before any liquid goes in. That is the key to a creamy soup, because the flour has time to soak up the grease from the sausage and thicken the base. Sun-dried tomatoes and beef broth do the rest, adding a rich, robust flavor, though chicken or vegetable broth works too. The kale goes in last, for a pop of green right at the end.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- One pot. Everything cooks together in a single Dutch oven, so there is only one pot to wash.
- Quick. It takes 5 minutes to prep and 20 minutes to cook, so it works on any weeknight.
- Hearty. Italian sausage, cheese tortellini, and greens make every bowl a full meal.
Ingredients for Sausage Tortellini Soup
Here is a quick overview of what you need. You will find the exact amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Italian sausage: Any type works, including turkey, pork, or chicken. A leaner sausage keeps the soup from getting greasy; if yours is fattier, drain some of the fat after browning.
- Cheese tortellini: I recommend refrigerated tortellini over frozen for the freshest flavor and easy prep. If you are gluten free, use a brand that is certified gluten free.
- Sun-dried tomatoes and tomato paste: You need both. The sun-dried tomatoes cook with the sausage and onion, and the tomato paste goes in with the broth.
- Flour: A little all-purpose flour thickens the base and makes it creamy. Use a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour to keep it gluten free.
- Broth: Beef broth adds a rich, robust flavor. Chicken broth or vegetable stock also work.
- Heavy cream: Adds the creamy texture and flavor.
- Kale: Curly or lacinato kale both work. Strip the leaves off the tough stems and chop them; the kale goes in at the very end so it keeps its color and a little bite.
- Seasonings: Onion, fresh garlic, Italian seasoning, dried sage, and black pepper.
How to Make Sausage Tortellini Soup
You only need a large Dutch oven or pot and a spoon.
1. Cook the sausage and vegetables
Warm a large Dutch oven over medium heat and cook the Italian sausage, crumbling it with a wooden spoon as it browns. Drain any excess fat. Add the onion and sun-dried tomatoes and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until the onion is translucent and fragrant.
2. Make the roux
Add the flour, garlic, Italian seasoning, sage, and pepper, and cook for another minute, stirring, so the flour coats everything and cooks a bit before any liquid goes in.
3. Simmer
Stir in the broth, water, and tomato paste and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the cream, tortellini, and kale
Stir in the heavy cream and tortellini and simmer for another 5 minutes, until the tortellini are tender. Stir in the chopped kale. Then taste before you add any salt: depending on the sausage and broth you use, you may not need any at all.
How to Serve Sausage Tortellini Soup
Top each bowl with freshly shaved parmesan and serve it with crusty bread. For a bigger dinner spread, add one of these:
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. They make great lunches, so pour them into individual jars for an easy grab-and-go meal. I don’t recommend freezing this soup, because the tortellini turns very mushy after freezing and reheating.
The tortellini keeps soaking up liquid, so the soup thickens overnight. Add a splash of broth when you reheat it to thin it out again.
- Microwave: Cover with a paper towel and heat for 1 minute at 50% power. Stir and repeat until warmed through.
- Stovetop: Heat over medium-low in a small pot, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick, until the tortellini are warmed through.
Sausage Tortellini Soup FAQs
Yes. Add everything except the tortellini, heavy cream, and kale to the slow cooker and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Stir in the cream, tortellini, and kale 30 minutes before you are ready to serve.
I used a three-cheese tortellini, but any stuffed pasta works, like spinach and garlic or mushroom tortellini. Swap the kale for spinach or use a mix of both greens, and use hot Italian sausage if you like more heat. For a vegetarian version, leave out the sausage and use vegetable broth.
Yes. Add frozen tortellini straight to the simmering soup, no thawing needed. It takes about 7 minutes; the tortellini are done when they float and are tender all the way through when pressed with a spoon.
More Soups You Will Love
Sausage Tortellini Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lbs Italian sausage, turkey, pork, or chicken work great
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, cup4cup if gluten-free
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp dry sage
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 4 cups beef broth, chicken or vegetable also works
- 3 cups water
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 16 oz cheese tortellini
- 2 cups chopped kale, or spinach
- ¼ tsp salt
- Shaved parmesan cheese, optional for garnish
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the Italian sausage. Crumble as it cooks. Drain.
- Once the sausage is browned, add the onion and sun-dried tomatoes. Saute for 3-4 minutes until the onion is translucent.
- Add the flour, garlic, Italian seasoning, sage, and pepper, and cook for another minute.
- Stir in the broth, water, and tomato paste, and heat to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the cream and tortellini, and simmer for another 5 minutes, until the tortellini are tender.
- Stir in the chopped kale. Taste, then add salt if needed. Serve!
Notes
- Salt content is going to vary a lot depending on the broth and sausage you use. I would try the soup first before adding any salt at the end just to be sure.
- The tortellini tends to keep absorbing moisture the longer it sits in the soup so you may have to add more broth when reheating. Just keep it in mind!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi, I’m Maggie! After obtaining a Master of Education degree in 2020, I decided to combine my love of teaching with my passion for food. Cooking good food feeds our bodies and souls, but it also helps give us a confidence that empowers us far beyond the kitchen. I hope to share my knowledge and experience to help cooks of all levels create delicious meals, snacks, and desserts for everyone they love!
