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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.
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.
Hello!
This soup looks amazing, I am going to make it this weekend but I would like to pair it with a side of some kind, like a bread or something crunchy….do you have any suggestions?
Bread would be great with it. Really any kind 🙂 Some nice french bread??
I love this recipe and finally I got it, yummy.I will made this soup today
Thanks you so much for sharing.
I love so many of your recipes. Keep in touch.
What is sausage crumbles? Who makes that? Where in the supermarket is it?
Instead of sausage links, it’s just crumbled up 🙂 Jimmy Dean makes it and I’m sure there are others. You could look for it by bacon. Hope that helps!
Making this recipe today. I was hoping to put it in the Crock-Pot to avoid the chaos of dinnertime with littles. I’m using fresh sausage that I’ve cooked already and dry tortellini instead of refrigerated. Do you have any tips for Crock-Pot? Like should I just put it all in at once or wait until 30min prior to dinner to add tortellini and spinach? I’m not confident enough in the kitchen to make the call myself.
I haven’t personally made it in the crockpot. I would just add it all in, since the tortellini is not cooked. Hope it comes out well!! Let me know what you think! Thank you!!
My Husband is coming from Paris this weekend and i’m gonna surprise him with the special soups.Thanks for providing the recipe
Oh, thank you for trying this recipe! I hope he likes it and enjoy your time together!
Thanks for the recipe,Was looking for this from a long time finally found it.
I’m glad you found it!! 🙂 Hope you enjoy as much as we do!
Care to tell if your husband liked it? making the same for my husband this new year
I made this soup today, I couldn’t find sausage crumbles so I used a roll of Italian sausage and I must say this soup was as good if not better tnan I’ve had at restaurants! This recipe is a for sure keeper. Thanks for sharing
That works just as well!! Thank you for letting me know!! So happy you like it!!
loved your recipes and Love tortellini soup Frases de Ano Novo 2017 | Frases De Feliz Ano Novo 2017
I hope you like it as much as we do!! Thank you!
Hi Kristyn,
Yes! Love tortellini soup and soup season!!
Thanks for sharing this easy recipe.
Have a wonderful weekend! 🙂
Amy
Thanks Amy!!! Hope you had a great weekend!