Sausage Tortellini Soup

This scrumptious sausage tortellini soup recipe is loaded with Italian Sausage, tomatoes, fresh cheese tortellini, arugula, and a perfect blend of herbs and spices. Fall is here, and with it comes all kinds of incredibly delicious soups.

I love to serve this family favorite with a garden salad tossed with a light vinaigrette and French baguettes with soft, creamy butter.

Try this simple recipe for a satisfying and flavorful tortellini soup that will warm you up on a cold day. With just a few ingredients and minimal prep time, it’s the perfect meal for busy weeknights.

If your family is anything like mine, soup is the main meal category for most of fall and winter. It is my favorite time of the year, and soup warms our minds, bodies, and souls. Of course, we eat soup year-round.

What You’ll Need

Italian Sausage: I prefer sweet or mild
Vegetables: onion, garlic, fire-roasted tomatoes, arugula or spinach
Seasonings: dried basil, dried oregano, dried parsley, dried thyme, red pepper flakes, fresh thyme, fresh basil
Broth: low-sodium beef broth, vegetable broth, or low-sodium chicken broth
Tomato paste: to give the soup flavor and thicken it
Refrigerated cheese tortellini: can substitute frozen or dried
Parmesan cheese: freshly grated is best

How To Make Sausage Tortellini Soup

This is just the summary version of the recipe. See the recipe card below for ingredients and full directions.

Brown the Italian Sausage in a Dutch Oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. When it is halfway browned, add the onion and cook until the sausage is done browning and the onion has softened.

Then, reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, and crushed red pepper, cooking for a minute. Whisk the tomato paste with a bit of beef broth to thin it out. Then add the vegetable broth, remaining beef broth, fire-roasted tomatoes, and thinned-out tomato paste. Increase the heat to medium and bring it to a low boil. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer.

Add the cheese tortellini and let everything simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the tortellini are cooked to your desired tenderness. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir it in the arugula. Salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle each bowl with a bit of Parmesan cheese.

Preparation Tips

You can substitute fresh baby spinach for arugula without changing the recipe. Remember to remove the large stems.
Most grocery stores carry refrigerated pasta, although you may have to ask where it is in the store. You can always substitute frozen cheese tortellini or even dried tortellini.
Try to purchase good quality Italian sausage from a local meat market. If it is only available in links, cut the casings off.
For Italian sausage substitutes, try chicken, ground beef, or pork sausage.
Dried herbs work best in soup, where their flavors have time to permeate the whole pot. I like to add them to the fat from the Italian sausage and cook for about a minute. This technique is known as blooming.
A tablespoon of Italian seasoning can be substituted for the dried herbs.

How to Cook it in a Crock Pot

Start by browning the sausage. When it is about halfway browned, add the onion and cook until the sausage is done browning and the onion has softened. Turn the heat to low and add the garlic, basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, and crushed red pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Transfer to a crockpot.

In a small bowl, whisk the tomato paste with about 1/2 cup of beef broth. Add the vegetable broth, remaining beef broth, fire-roasted tomatoes, and thinned-out tomato paste to the crock pot. Cook on low for about 4 hours or high for 2 hours.

Increase temperature to high. Then add the tortellini, cooking for about 30 minutes or until tender. Add the arugula and cook for about 10 minutes. Finally, ladle into bowls and top with 1 tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese.

Storage and Reheat

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Be careful not to overcook the pasta when reheating so it does not have a soggy texture. Reheat on low on the stovetop or in the microwave at reduced power.