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Nourishing tortellini soup is packed with healthy ingredients like sausage and veggies swimming in a savory tomato broth.
I love soup recipes, and tortellini is one of my favorite simple ingredients to add to soups. Take, for example, our Creamy Tortellini Soup, Crock Pot Spinach Tortellini Soup, or this one with sausage and veggies!
SO hearty – so good!
I’m telling you right now to drop everything you’re doing and add this tortellini soup to your weekly menu plan!
It is seriously so delicious and is a very satisfying soup recipe, perfect for chilly days or any day.
It’s hearty and delicious, filled with sausage, zucchini, and basil. Plus, tortellini is the perfect addition to soup (we are also obsessed with our creamy Spinach Tortellini Soup).
We hope you love it as much as we do.
Follow These Simple Steps
Sausage tortellini soup is so filling and worth the wait!
SAUSAGE. Cook sausage in a pan or dutch oven until browned and broken up.
Add minced garlic cloves and cook sausage for 1-2 minutes longer.
VEGGIES. Move meat to a pot. Stir in broth, tomatoes, cider, tomato sauce, carrots, basil, and oregano. Bring soup to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes stir in zucchini and parsley and simmer for 10-12 more minutes.
PASTA. Add tortellini and cook for 7-10 more minutes. Top with grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Slow Cooker Version
For busy days, make tortellini soup with sausage in a crockpot!
COMBINE. Brown the sausage with the garlic and add it to the slow cooker. Pour in the apple cider, chicken broth, tomatoes, to tomato sauce, carrots, zucchini, and herbs.
COOK. Stir, add the lid, and cook for 4-5 hours on LOW or HIGH heat for 7-8 hours. Add the tortellini during the last 30 minutes of the cooking time.
If you had been cooking on LOW heat, turn the setting to HIGH for the last 30 minutes.
Variations
Sausage. Use a sweet sausage or a spicy sausage to add more flavor. Or, make it vegetarian by removing the sausage and sauté the garlic for a minute before adding the broth, cider, and other ingredients.
Tortellini. Try different tortellini. Here are some of our favorites:
- Three Cheese Tortellini
- Mixed Cheese Tortellini
- Spinach & Cheese Tortellini
- Sweet Italian Sausage Tortellini
Add some heat. For a spicy taste use spicy Italian sausage and sprinkle in some red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper.
Make it creamy. Add ⅓-½ cup heavy cream during the last 2-3 minutes of the cooking time.
Herbs. Replace the dried basil, oregano, and parsley with an equal amount of Italian seasoning.
- Replace the dried herbs with their fresh counterpart. Use one tablespoon of fresh herbs for every teaspoon of dried herbs.
Veggies. Toss in some favorite vegetables for added flavor and texture such as green beans, onions, corn, peas, celery, fresh baby spinach, and kale.
Make it a freezer meal!
This tortellini soup recipe makes a great freezer meal.
FREEZE. 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.
To reheat. 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. Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To reheat.
- Microwave: Heat for 30 seconds, and stir. Continue to heat in 10-second increments stirring in between until warm.
- Stovetop: Heat over medium heat until hot.
What to serve it with?
Tortellini soup with sausage is filling on its own but pairs perfectly with bread and salads.
Here are some of our favorites:
- Bread. French Bread, Olive Garden Breadsticks, or Bread Bowl
- Salad. Homemade Caesar Salad or a Wedge Salad
- Sandwich. Veggie Panini, Grilled Cheese, or Croque Monsieur
Recipe FAQ
To keep the tortellini from getting mushy, take the soup off the heat as soon as the tortellini has finished cooking. Or, you could cook it separately and add it in at the end of the soup’s cooking time.
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.
You can 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.
For more tortellini recipes, check out:
- Creamy Tortellini Soup
- Cheesy Baked Tortellini
- Spinach And Tortellini Salad
- Crock Pot Spinach Tortellini Soup
- Steak And Tortellini Salad
- Chicken Alfredo Soup
Tortellini Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian Sausage, or 4 Italian Sausage links
- 4 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 cup apple cider, NOT Apple Cider Vinegar
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 cup carrots, chopped
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp dried parsley
- 2 medium zucchini, sliced and halved
- 16 oz cheese tortellini
Instructions
- Cook sausage in a pan until browned and broken up.
- Add garlic and cook sausage for 1-2 minutes longer.
- Move meat to a large pot. Stir in broth, tomatoes, cider, tomato sauce, carrots, basil, and oregano. Bring soup to a simmer over medium heat, then cover and cook for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes stir in zucchini and parsley and simmer for 10-12 more minutes.
- Add tortellini and cook for 7-10 more minutes. Top with grated Parmesan.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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!