Chicken Sausage Tortellini Soup

This Chicken Sausage Tortellini Soup is the definition of cold-weather comfort food! It’s filled with Italian chicken sausage, fresh veggies, and cheesy tortellini in just one pot.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

You’ll love how easy it is to make this one pot tortellini soup. You need simple grocery staples, like fresh vegetables, chicken sausage, milk, vegetable broth, and store-bought tortellini, for the coziest meal.

I love soup season, and I’ve been making this soup on repeat. It’s become a favorite in my house.

It’s ready in just 45 minutes and hits the spot when I crave something warm and comforting on cold winter evenings.

Tortellini soup is even great for meal prepping and is customizable to your liking. Make it spicy, add your favorite veggies, or swap out the chicken sausage for a plant-based sausage or white beans. 

If you want more cozy soup recipes, try this Creamy Orzo Chicken Soup or Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs.

Ingredients

• Italian Chicken Sausage: Ground chicken sausage is the perfect protein for this soup. Use either mild Italian chicken sausage or spicy if you like a kick. Pork sausage also works well here.
• Olive Oil: Opt for extra-virgin olive oil to sauté the vegetables. You can also use butter, avocado oil, or ghee.
• Onion, Carrots, Celery, and Garlic: This sautéed veggie blend creates the perfect savory-sweet flavor — exactly what you want in a cozy soup!
• Flour: All-purpose flour helps thicken the broth, adding to its heartiness. Be sure to stir it in thoroughly to avoid any lumps!
• Tomato Paste: Just a tablespoon of tomato paste adds so much flavor.
• Vegetable Broth: I prefer low-sodium vegetable broth, so I can adjust the salt as necessary, but feel free to use a regular one. You can also use chicken broth if that’s what you have on hand.
• Milk: A little bit of milk helps make this soup creamy. If you’d rather, you can also use heavy cream or dairy-free milk. Choose a thicker option like cashew or oat-based milk if using a dairy-free alternative.
• Crushed Tomatoes: A can of crushed tomatoes makes a nice chunky texture, making this soup just a bit more rustic. You can use a can of petite diced tomatoes if you don’t have crushed tomatoes.
• Italian Seasoning: To season the soup. You can also make your own using a combination of dried oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, sage, and marjoram. 
• Cheese Tortellini: Refrigerated tortellini works best over shelf-stable or frozen varieties in this recipe. You can find fresh tortellini in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores. But if shelf-stable or frozen tortellini is all you can find, that’s okay! Just be sure to cook it long enough, following the package instructions.
• Baby Spinach: I love adding greens to soups, and baby spinach is the perfect addition. You can also swap for kale.
• Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving. This is completely optional but adds a little extra zing.

*The full ingredient list with amounts is in the recipe card below.

How to Make Sausage Tortellini Soup

1. Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat, until cooked through and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside.
2. Add the olive oil to the pot. Stir in the onion, carrot, and celery. Season with sea salt. Saute until the onions are translucent and the vegetables are starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.

3. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir until combined. Stir in the tomato paste, then slowly stir in the broth and milk, making sure the flour is fully incorporated and there are no lumps. Add in the crushed tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Season with sea salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium high to bring to a simmer.
4. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the tortellini and cook according to package directions, typically about 4 minutes. Add in the chopped spinach and cooked sausage. Remove from the heat.

6. Serve warm topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese, if desired.

Expert Tip: When storing leftovers, strain the liquid from the soup and store it in the refrigerator in a separate airtight container. I love to use mason jars with reusable mason jar lids.

Variations

I love this Chicken Sausage Tortellini Soup as it is, however it’s easy to customize!

• Add more veggies. Stir in fresh or frozen peas, corn, or zucchini for the last few minutes of cooking.
• Garnish with fresh herbs or spices. Top tortellini soup with a handful of chopped fresh basil immediately before serving. Or, add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to give it a kick.
• Make it without flour. If you swap the milk for heavy cream, you can skip the flour and still achieve a thicker broth.
• Swap out the sausage. Use spicy or sweet Italian sausage to change the flavor. You can also swap the chicken sausage out for pork if you’d prefer.
• Make it vegetarian. For a vegetarian alternative, I like to swap the sausage with a can of white beans, like cannellini or navy. Rinse and drain them before adding them to the soup. Your favorite plant-based sausage will also work.

Serving Suggestions

This sausage and spinach tortellini soup recipe is great served as a meal. You can pair it with a big ole salad and fresh crusty bread. It also pairs well with my Honey Wheat Dinner Rolls.

It’s perfect for a weeknight dinner or meal prep lunch. I eat soup all year round, but it’s especially great in the fall and winter when you want a piping-hot bowl of soup.

Make Ahead and Storage

To Make Ahead: If you want to make this soup ahead of time, follow the recipe as-is, but don’t add the tortellini and baby spinach. Refrigerate until ready to serve and then reheat the soup on the stovetop in a large pot or Dutch oven. Once it comes to temperature, add the tortellini and cook according to the package instructions. Sprinkle in the chopped baby spinach immediately before serving.

To Store: Allow leftovers to cool before storing in an airtight container and refrigerating for up to 3 days. Keep in mind, the tortellini will continue to soak up the broth as it sits and may become a little soggy. If needed, you can add an additional splash of vegetable broth to thin the soup when reheating.

I love to strain the liquid from the soup to store it separately to prevent the tortellini from becoming soggy.

If you want to make this soup in advance and freeze it, here are some great tips for freezing soups.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

More Soup Recipes

• Chicken Pastina Soup
• Vegetable Soup with Orzo and White Beans
• Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
• Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup

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