Description
Hearty Italian “Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup” delivers comfort in every spoonful, blending rich Italian sausage with tender cheese tortellini. Warm, satisfying layers of flavor invite you to savor this soul-warming culinary experience perfect for chilly evenings.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 1 pound (454 grams) Italian sausage (mild or spicy)
Vegetables and Herbs:
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 4 cups fresh spinach (or kale, roughly chopped)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for spice)
Liquids and Additional Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) olive oil
- 4 cups (946 milliliters) chicken broth
- 1 (14.5-ounce/411 grams) can diced tomatoes (with juice)
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) heavy cream
- 1 (9-ounce/255 grams) package refrigerated cheese tortellini
Garnish (Optional):
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Warm olive oil in a spacious pot over medium flame, introducing the sausage and fragmenting into petite crumbles until golden brown. Drain excess fat if necessary.
- Incorporate diced onions, minced garlic, sliced carrots, and chopped celery into the seasoned pot. Sauté until vegetables soften and release their aromatic essence, approximately 5-6 minutes.
- Sprinkle dried basil, oregano, and optional red pepper flakes across the vegetable mixture. Pour in chicken broth and diced tomatoes, elevating heat to create a vigorous boil before reducing to a gentle simmer.
- Allow the liquid to develop rich flavors for approximately 15 minutes, creating a harmonious base for the upcoming ingredients.
- Introduce heavy cream and tortellini, gently stirring to integrate. Simmer until pasta becomes tender and plump, roughly 4-5 minutes.
- Delicately fold fresh spinach into the soup, permitting leaves to wilt and release their vibrant green color, which should take 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer the steaming soup into serving bowls, garnishing with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Accompany with crusty bread or a crisp side salad for a complete meal experience.
Notes
- Optimize Sausage Flavor: Select high-quality Italian sausage for deeper, richer taste, preferably with fennel or spicy variations to enhance the soup’s overall complexity.
- Make It Lighter: Swap heavy cream with half-and-half or whole milk to reduce calories without sacrificing creamy texture, perfect for health-conscious eaters.
- Vegetarian Adaptation: Replace sausage with plant-based sausage crumbles or add extra mushrooms and lentils for protein-packed alternative that maintains hearty consistency.
- Storage and Reheating: Cool soup completely before refrigerating, consume within 3-4 days, and gently reheat on stovetop to prevent tortellini from becoming mushy or breaking apart.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 950 mg
- Fat: 36 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg