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This easy tortellini soup recipe is packed with delicious ingredients, only takes 10 minutes to prep, and is perfect all year long.
Our Fav pasta in soup!
Drop everything you’re doing and add this tortellini soup to your weekly menu plan because we guarantee you’re going to love it. This seriously delicious soup has our favorite pasta in it, is prepped in 10 minutes and is perfect for chilly days.
With its cheese-filled tortellini, Italian sausage, and tender vegetables, it’s on repeat all fall and winter long. Complete the meal with some fresh Dinner Rolls or take it up a notch and serve the soup in homemade or store-bought Bread Bowls.
For a set-it-and-forget-it (but different) version of tortellini soup, try our Crockpot Tortellini Soup!
Why We Love It:
- Hearty and satisfying. Tortellini soup is a filling meal that will leave your family feeling full and content 🙂
- Easy to make. With just a few simple ingredients and minimal prep time, tortellini soup is a perfect easy dinner option.
- Add to it. Customize tortellini soup to your liking by adding different vegetables, proteins, or herbs and spices.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 50 minutes
- 1 pound Italian Sausage, or 4 Italian Sausage links – Use a sweet sausage or a spicy sausage to add more flavor.
- For a VEGETARIAN version, remove the sausage and sauté the garlic for a minute before adding vegetable broth, cider, and other ingredients.
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic – (4-5 cloves of garlic) see How to Mince Garlic
- ½ cup apple cider – NOT apple cider vinegar
- 4 cups chicken broth – chicken stock or vegetable broth
- 1 (5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 cup carrots, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley – or an equal amount of Italian seasoning
- 2 medium zucchini – peeled and sliced
- 16 ounces cheese tortellini – frozen, fresh, or Barilla dry cheese tortellini. Try Three Cheese Tortellini, Mixed Cheese Tortellini, Spinach & Cheese Tortellini, or Sweet Italian Sausage Tortellini.
- optional additions. Add green beans, onions, corn, peas, celery, fresh baby spinach, and kale. For a spicy taste use spicy Italian sausage and sprinkle in some red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper.
Fresh Herbs
Replace 1 teaspoon of dried herbs with 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs. For this soup, add the fresh herbs during the last 10-15 minutes of the cooking time.
How to Make Tortellini Soup
- SAUSAGE. Cook 1 pound sausage in a pan until browned and broken up.
- Add 4 teaspoons garlic and cook sausage for 1-2 minutes longer.
- BROTH. Move meat to a large pot. Stir in 4 cups broth, 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, ½ cup cider, 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce, 1 cup chopped carrots, 1 teaspoon basil, and 1 teaspoon oregano. Bring soup to a simmer over medium heat, then cover and cook for 30 minutes.
- VEGGIES. After 30 minutes stir in 2 medium zucchini sliced and 2 tablespoons parsley and simmer for 10-12 more minutes.
- PASTA. Add 16 ounces tortellini and cook for 7-10 more minutes. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
For busy days, try our Crockpot Tortellini Soup!
Perfect Tortellini
- One of the signs that tortellini is done cooking is when it floats to the surface of the hot water. It is best when cooked al dente.
- To avoid mushy tortellini, take the tortellini soup recipe off the heat as soon as the tortellini has finished cooking. Or, cook it separately and add it in at the end of the soup’s cooking time.
Make It Creamy!
Easily make this soup creamier by adding ⅓-½ cup heavy cream during the last 2-3 minutes of the cooking time.
Complete The Meal
Sides
Soups
Creamy Tortellini Soup
20 mins
Chicken Gnocchi Soup
30 mins
Italian Wedding Soup
35 mins
Crockpot Tortellini Soup
3 hrs 5 mins
Collections
Easy Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage, or 4 Italian sausage links
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic
- ½ cup apple cider, NOT apple cider vinegar
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 cup carrots, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- 2 medium zucchini, sliced and halved
- 16 ounces cheese tortellini
Instructions
- Cook the sausage in a pan until browned and broken up.
- Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes longer.
- Move meat to a large pot. Stir in chicken broth, diced tomatoes, apple cider, tomato sauce, chopped carrots, basil, and oregano. Bring soup to a simmer over medium heat, then cover and cook for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes stir in the sliced zucchini and parsley and simmer for 10-12 more minutes.
- Add tortellini and cook for 7-10 more minutes. Top with grated Parmesan.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Cook according to the recipe directions, except do not add the tortellini. Cool and place it in an airtight freezer container or use freezer bags. Uncooked tortellini can be stored in a separate bag. Label and store both bags in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Thaw and heat the soup in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the soup is hot add the tortellini pasta and simmer for 12-15 minutes and serve.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freeze it for up to 3 months; the tortellini may be a bit mushy but still delicious.
I’m curious. If so many liked the original recipe so much, why was it changed?