Sausage Tortellini Soup
This creamy sausage tortellini soup is a 30 minute meal that’s easy to make with sausage, kale, simple seasonings, broth, and cream!
Be sure to serve this with a side of Garlic Bread with Cheese or Biscuits!

Sausage Tortellini Soup
Wait until you taste this soup. This is one you will undoubtedly add to your favorite list of soup recipes, especially because it’s a 30-minute meal that’s got vegetables, protein, and pasta all in one bowl!
You may scratch your head when you see that I’ve got hot sauce and mustard powder on the ingredients list, but trust me. They enhance the other flavors in the recipe and add a very subtle touch that creates a great base for this soup. Once you try it, you’ll see what I mean!
Check out my PRO tips below on how to add even more flavor to this soup, and what you can use if you don’t have kale on hand!
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Cook the sausage, onions, and garlic. Add flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add basil, oregano, hot sauce, mustard powder, and pepper. Stir to combine.
Add chicken broth and heavy cream. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer.

Add kale and tortellini. Cook 3-5 minutes. Taste and add salt if desired. Transfer to serving bowls and add a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Pro Tips
- For even more flavor, add the rind from a block of Parmesan or Romano cheese when you add the broth and let it simmer and flavor the soup. If any remains at the end of cooking, it can be discarded. Salt will likely not need to be added if you do this.
- 2-3 cups of Spinach can be used instead of kale, stir it in once the tortellini is cooked and let it wilt, about 30 seconds. If you use frozen spinach, let it thaw and pat it dry prior to adding it.
- I use RANA refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini for this recipe. I also use Texas Pete hot sauce or Frank’s Hot Sauce.
- This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 51!
- For a similar recipe with a twist, try my Sausage Gnocchi Soup! And be sure to try my Marry Me Chicken Soup as well- it also has tortellini!
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for 3+ months.
- Note that the tortellini will continue to absorb broth during storage. I recommend boiling the tortellini separately and add it directly to serving bowls if you plan on having leftovers.
- Be sure to try my chicken tortellini soup recipe next!
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- 4 quart Soup Pot: The perfect size for this recipe.
- Spice Rack– This is the one I have, it’s a snap to measure out your seasonings quickly and easily. (Big time saver.)
- Kitchen Scale: In case you need to weigh the sausage. (I use this all the time.)
- Measuring Spoons– To measure out the seasonings.
- Pinch Bowls– I measure out my seasonings ahead of time and add them to these small bowls so they’re ready to go when it’s time to add them.
- 16 oz. storage containers – I use these to store/freeze my soups. They have 8 oz. sizes as well. They’re stackable, leak proof, and dishwasher/microwave safe.
Try These Next
- BEST Clam Chowder
- Tomato Basil Pasta
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Pasta Primavera
- Meatball Soup
- Marry Me Chicken Pasta
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Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sausage Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage, hot or mild
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 Tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 pinch cayenne, optional
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups kale, chopped
- 2 cups tortellini, just under 10 oz. (refrigerated or frozen)
- Salt/ to taste
Instructions
- Note: The mustard powder and hot sauce are so subtle in this soup but help enhance the other flavors, so although you may be hesitant to add them, I highly recommend it!
- Remove the casings from the sausage if you purchased links. Cook and crumble the sausage and diced onions over medium-high heat until the onions are softened and the sausage is cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Drain grease. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
- Add basil, oregano, cayenne, hot sauce, mustard powder, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
- Add the chicken broth and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pot. Slowly stir in the heavy cream. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer.
- Add the kale and tortellini and simmer for 3-5 minutes. (If your tortellini needs longer cooking time, add the tortellini first, then the kale during the last 5 minutes.)
- Taste the soup and add salt if desired. Start with ¼ tsp and add more after that if needed.
- Transfer to serving bowls and serve! (This is great with Garlic Bread with Cheese!)
Notes
- I use RANA refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini for this recipe. I also use Texas Pete hot sauce or Frank's Hot Sauce.
- For even more flavor, add the rind from a block of Parmesan or Romano cheese when you add the broth and let it simmer and flavor the soup. If any remains at the end of cooking, it can be discarded. Salt will likely not need to be added if you do this.
- 2-3 cups of Spinach can be used instead of kale, stir it in once the tortellini is cooked and let it wilt, about 30 seconds.
- This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 51!
- For a similar recipe with a twist, try my Sausage Gnocchi Soup! And be sure to try my Marry Me Chicken Soup as well- it also has tortellini!
Crock Pot Method:
- Brown the sausage/onions on the stove top and add the flour as outlined in steps 2 + 3.
- Transfer everything except for the cream, tortellini, and spinach to the slow cooker.
- Cook it on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-7.
- Stir in the kale toward the end and let that heat up for 10-15 minutes.
- Turn heat off. Temper the cream in the microwave for 45 seconds and stir it in slowly>
- Add cooked tortellini to serving bowls and ladle soup on top!
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for 3+ months.
- Note that the tortellini will continue to absorb broth during storage. I recommend boiling the tortellini separately and add it directly to serving bowls if you plan on having leftovers.
- Be sure to try my chicken tortellini soup recipe next!
Nutritional information an estimate and is per serving. Each serving is 1 cup, and this recipe makes approximately 10 cups.
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I can’t wait to make this. It sounds delicious. I want to make this for our Halloween Cul De Sac Party. I was going to make it in my crockpot so I can keep it warm. What will happen if I just add the tortellini to the crockpot after it is done cooking? It will be too difficult to try and keep the tortellini warm separately.
Thank You!
Hi Cheryl! I think you’ll be just fine to add the uncooked tortellini to the crock pot on warm!! What a great dish to make!
This was amazing! My family loved it! Thank you! I used the crockpot method and cooked the tortellini separate. Stored tortellini leftovers separately in the refrigerator as well to enjoy tomorrow! 😊
I’m so happy the family loved it Karin, nice work! Making it in the crock pot is so fun. Thanks so much for the great review!💖
My family loved it!! I have picky eaters too. Thank you for sharing this recipe, didnt change a thing and just added some fresh cracked pepper and Parmesan on top to serve. So good!💛
I’m so happy your family loved it Maegan! Thanks so much for the great comments and review!💖
This soup is simple yet amazing. My whole family loves it and it’s our go to when we go to a potluck! It’s always a hit.
I’m so happy your whole family loves it Kerri! It’s a favorite in our house too. Thanks so much for the great review!💖
Great simple recipe! I substituted half
N half for heavy cream and used Tapatio hot sauce. Thank you!
You’re very welcome Trina! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!💖
Loved it! But I have a family that can’t take milk or heavy cream what could I replace it with?
Hi Dene! They have dairy-free milk and heavy cream products that you could use instead 🙂
I am making this now for church potluck and my house smells so good! I can’t wait to try it and see others try it! Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Jennifer!! I’m so happy to hear that, what a perfect soup to share! I’d love to know how it goes! 🙌🏻😍
Okay look, for the entirety of my adult life I have always always always made my grandmother’s chicken and dumplings recipe on the very first, real, cold fall day of the year. I found this recipe two years ago and it quickly became a staple in our home. This year it surpassed Nunny’s chicken and dumplings. We have our first cold week coming up next week (South Texas things. Nothing like waiting until November to finally get some fall weather) and, while I was making my weekly meal plan, I knew this had to be part of the week. But, instead of making chicken and dumplings first, this is number one. You cannot mess this recipe up, it is SO flavorful and delicious, and makes great leftovers. Win, win, win. It is the BEST.
Hi Liz! I am so happy that the chilly time of year has come where you can enjoy a nice batch of Chicken and Dumplings! I really enjoyed reading through your review and I really appreciate you taking the time! Thank you so, so much!! -Stephanie ❤️
Love how simple & quick the recipe is & still so delicious!!! This will be a regular in our house now. Thank you
I’m so happy this is going to be a regular in your house Rhonda! Thanks so much for the great review!😃
OMG!! So good and EASY!! Only thing i did different was sub for hot italian sausage and i used creole seasoning in place of salt…we like heat in my house. This will definitely be added as a staple in my home, thank you!
My husband would fit right in at your house, he loves heat! I’m so happy you guys are enjoying it, thanks so much for the great review!💖