Sausage Tortellini Soup (Easy, Creamy, Flavorful!)

Sausage Tortellini Soup in white pot with wooden spoon.

Sausage Tortellini Soup (Easy, Creamy, Flavorful!)

Sausage Tortellini Soup is creamy and flavorful, loaded with Italian sausage, artichoke hearts, cheese tortellini, fresh baby spinach, and more for a hearty, comforting soup recipe that’s easy to make on the stove or in the crock pot!

Course Soup

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings to 8 servings

Calories 436kcal

Author Samantha Skaggs

Ingredients

1 pound Italian sausage sweet, spicy, or half of each
4 cloves garlic minced
3 tablespoons flour
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes undrained
1 (14-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts drained
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¾ teaspoon salt plus additional to taste
½ teaspoon onion powder
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 to 10 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini OR frozen and thawed
1 ½ cups half-and-half
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
4 ounces fresh baby spinach

Instructions

In a large pot or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, brown the Italian sausage until it is cooked through, stirring in the garlic for the final minute. Drain the grease. Sprinkle the flour over the sausage and cook, while stirring continuously, for another minute.
Add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, artichoke hearts, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, and pepper. Stir to combine, increase the heat, and bring to a boil.
Add the tortellini, reduce to a simmer, and cook for about five minutes until tender (consult the directions on your package of tortellini for exact cooking time).
Stir in the half-and-half, Parmesan cheese, and baby spinach, and cook for another minute or two until the soup is heated through and the spinach is wilted. Adjust the seasonings, adding more salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately, garnished with additional Parmesan.

Notes

Italian sausage can be purchased ground in bulk or encased as individual sausages. If using the individual sausages, remove and discard the casings before cooking the meat as you would brown ground beef.
Cheese tortellini is sold in different sized packages, depending on whether you buy it fresh or frozen. A range of ounces is given in the ingredient list because there is flexibility on how much tortellini you add to this soup.
If you end up using dried tortellini, you may need to add a bit more broth to compensate for evaporation due to a longer cooking time.
Tortellini is done when it floats to the surface and registers an internal temperature of 165°F on an instant read thermometer.
For a lighter option, whole milk may be substituted for the half-and-half. Or heavy cream can be used for added decadence.
Baby spinach cooks down quite a bit, so feel free to double the amount for a soup that’s heavier in veggies. Or you can use kale instead of spinach, removing any tough stems and chopping leaves first. SLOW COOKER DIRECTIONS:
1. Brown the Italian sausage and garlic as directed, drain the grease, and stir in the flour.
2. Transfer the cooked sausage to a large slow cooker and add the diced tomatoes, drained artichoke hearts, seasonings, and chicken broth.
3. Stir to combine, cover, and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours (or HIGH for 2 to 3 hours).
4. Stir in the tortellini, half-and-half, and grated Parmesan. Cover and cook on LOW for another hour (or on HIGH for 30 minutes), until the tortellini is tender.
5. Add the spinach and put the lid back on for a few minutes until the spinach wilts.
6. Stir to combine, adjusting the seasonings with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.

Nutrition