Tuscan Tortellini Soup with Sausage and Spinach

This Tuscan Tortellini Soup puts dinner on the table in under 40 minutes. With browned Italian sausage, a garlicky tomato broth finished with cream and Parmesan, and cheese tortellini cooked right in the pot. If you already have my Italian Sausage Pasta on rotation, this soup-night sibling is simple enough for a weeknight meal.

• Mild Italian Sausage: Italian sausage is ground pork seasoned with garlic, and fennel, so it brings its own seasoning to the pot. Browning it is the first layer of flavor, and the savory bits it leaves on the bottom of the pot season the broth as it simmers. I used mild sausage so the red pepper flakes control the heat, not the sausage. Chicken sausage also worked well in testing when I made this, so it's a reliable swap if you prefer a lighter version. Italian sausage brings the fennel and garlic, which save you from building a spice blend from scratch.
• Refrigerated Cheese Tortellini: These are fresh, cheese-filled pasta from the refrigerated case. They cook in 3 to 5 minutes directly in the broth. Refrigerated tortellini stay tender and plump in the soup, which is why the recipe uses them instead of boxed dried tortellini. If you have a package left over, it's the start of my Tortellini Pasta Salad.
• Tomato Paste: Tomato paste is tomatoes cooked down to a thick, concentrated paste. Two tablespoons, cooked in the hot fat until it turns a deep brick red, give the broth its depth and color. Cooking it first removes the raw, tinny edge and turns it rich and slightly sweet.
• Heavy Cream: Heavy cream turns a sausage and tomato broth into a creamy Tuscan-style soup. Its high fat content helps it hold together in a hot, slightly acidic broth, where lighter dairy is more likely to curdle. It goes in at the end over low heat with the Parmesan, so the broth turns silky without breaking.

See the recipe card for quantities.

Variations

• Turn up the heat: Use hot Italian sausage, or add an extra pinch of red pepper flakes with the tomato paste.
• Kale instead of spinach: Chopped kale give the soup a heartier, more Tuscan feel. Strip the leaves from the stems and chop them small. Kale needs more time than spinach to soften, so give it an extra minute or two before adding the cream.
• Add white beans: Stir in a drained can of cannellini beans with the broth for extra protein and a more rustic texture. It's also a good way to stretch the soup for a crowd.
• A swirl of pesto: Top each bowl with a spoonful of my Basil Pesto or Walnut Pesto for a bright, herby finish.
• Lighter on the cream: Half-and-half works for a lighter soup. Keep the heat on its lowest setting once it goes in, since lighter dairy is more likely to curdle. Also, 4 oz of cream cheese stirred in is a tangy swap.
• Slow cooker method: Brown the sausage first, add everything except cream/tortellini/spinach, cook on low 4-6 hours, stir in the rest in the last 20 minutes.

How To Make Tuscan Tortellini Soup: Step-By-Step

Here are some quick visual instructions. Remember that full instructions with the exact ingredients are in the printable recipe card:

Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and break it into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring until it's browned and some bits stick and caramelize on the bottom of the pot.

Step 2: Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Add the tomato paste, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes, until the tomato paste darkens to a deep brick red and smells rich.

Step 3: Add the chicken broth and the drained diced tomatoes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a gentle boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. Add the tortellini and simmer for the time on the package, usually 3 to 5 minutes.

Step 4: Turn the heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream, Parmesan, and spinach. Cook gently for 2 to 3 minutes, until the spinach wilts and the broth turns creamy. Stir in the butter until melted. Taste the soup, then season with salt as needed.

Recipe Tips

• Pull the tortellini early. Go with the low end of the package time. They keep softening in the hot broth after the heat goes off.
• Taste before you salt. Sausage, chicken broth and Parmesan all bring salt to the pot. Taste at the end and season from there.