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Creamy Tortellini Soup

Creamy tortellini soup with cheese tortellini, Italian sausage, and spinach simmered in a cream-tomato broth. Ready in about an hour with tender tortellini and a silky finish from heavy cream.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 650

Ingredients
  

Italian sausage
  • 1 lb Italian sausage
Cheese tortellini
  • 20 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini
Baby spinach
  • 3 cup baby spinach
Onion and garlic
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
Tomato base
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
Broth and seasonings
  • 4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 0.5 Salt and pepper to taste
Creamy finish
  • 1.5 cup heavy cream
For serving
  • 0.25 Parmesan and fresh basil for serving Use generous shavings for topping.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the sausage
  1. Brown Italian sausage in a large pot over medium-high heat, then drain excess fat.
  2. Continue cooking until the sausage is evenly browned, with no visible pink, for a deeper flavor.
Build the soup base
  1. Sauté onion for 4 minutes in the pot until softened.
  2. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until fragrant and slightly darkened.
  3. Add diced tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes, then bring the mixture to a boil.
Cook tortellini
  1. Add tortellini to the boiling soup and cook for 4-5 minutes until tender.
  2. Stir occasionally so tortellini doesn’t stick to the pot or clump.
Finish with cream and spinach
  1. Stir in heavy cream and baby spinach.
  2. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the spinach wilts and the soup turns creamy and smooth.
Season and serve
  1. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Serve hot with generous parmesan shavings and fresh basil on top.

Notes

For best texture, add tortellini only after the soup comes to a boil and keep it at a gentle simmer once it’s added to prevent overcooking. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat on the stovetop with a splash of broth or cream if the soup thickens. Freezing is not recommended because refrigerated tortellini can become soft when thawed. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream (the soup will be less rich but still creamy).