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This tortellini soup recipe is packed with delicious ingredients, only takes 10 minutes to prep and is perfect all fall long.
SO hearty – so good!
Drop everything you’re doing and add this tortellini soup to your weekly menu plan! This seriously satisfying delicious soup recipe is perfect for chilly days or any day and is prepped in only 10 minutes.
With its cheese-filled tortellini, Italian sausage and tender vegetables, we have this tortellini soup recipe 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 an even easier (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.
- Versatile. 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
- ½ cup apple cider – NOT apple cider vinegar
- 4 cups chicken broth – 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 replace with an equal amount of Italian seasoning
- 2 medium zucchini – sliced and halved
- 16 ounces cheese tortellini – you can use frozen, fresh, or Barilla dry cheese tortellini. Try Three Cheese Tortellini, Mixed Cheese Tortellini, Spinach & Cheese Tortellini, or Sweet Italian Sausage Tortellini.
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.
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.
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Tortellini Soup Recipe
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
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.
Easily change up the flavor and texture by adding 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.
Cook the tortellini sausage soup according to the recipe directions, except do not add the tortellini. Cool the soup 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.
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months; just note that the tortellini may be a bit mushy but still delicious.
I love tortellini! This soup was quick, easy, and so good. More things I love about the soup.
My kids love the combo of the sausage with the tortellini in this soup. And it’s so filling too!
This soup is soooo delicious! I’ve made it without the sausage as well & it’s also really good!
We love this recipe (Sausage and Tortellini Soup) and have been making it for years! I recently noticed that you have changed the recipe to Spinach instead of Zucchini, along with several other changes. We prefer that recipe, but unfortunately don’t have a copy of it. Can you email me the orginal recipe? Thank you so much!
Lynda
I am always changing soups, adding new ones, taking ones away, so not sure which one you are referring to. I do have this one with zucchini, https://lilluna.com/sausage-soup/. I hope this is the one you are looking for.
Easy and so good! Everyone loves the heartiness! I would recommend using the mini tortellini if you plan to freeze or keep for a few days.j
Thank you! Glad you tried it!
I love easy crockpot/slow cooker recipes! This one doesn’t disappoint! So yummy and filling and warmed me up on a cold winter night after teaching all day!!
It winter time☃️ Always have a pot of soup on the stove and this one did not disappoint !! Great flavor ⭐️
I made this soup a couple weeks ago with the cheese tortellini from Costco and it was amazing. Definitely will make again.
This is one of my family’s favorite soups!! Super yummy & quick!
We love this soup! Now that I have a gluten free eater in my home, we are desperately on the hunt for a good gluten free tortellini substitute!