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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This has been a staple at my house in the winter since I first found the recipe. Anything that gets my family to eat kale and love it is a win. It’s hearty enough for my husband to love it but still healthy enough for me. It’s so delicious!
That makes me so happy Leigh! Such a cozy winter soup recipe. Thanks so much for the great comments!🩷
Good morning!! I love your recipes! I’m always making your recipes for luncheons at work. If I wanted to bring this soup to work, but in a crock pot, how would you suggest I do it? Should I add certain ingredients to the crockpot once at work and the soup has had time to heat through? I hope my question makes sense because I think this will be the next dish I make for work! Thanks!
Hi Lici!! To make this for work, I would hold off on adding the cream, tortellini, and kale until the end. Stir the cream in gradually and make sure the base of the soup isn’t too hot (i.e. not bubbling) when you add it. Then you can add the kale/tortellini and heat until cooked through! Enjoy!
Delicious! Made this today and we all loved it! Added an extra cup of broth, an 8 oz can of tomato sauce and doubled the tortellini. Thank you for the great recipe!
You’re very welcome Patti! Thanks so much for the great review!🩷
My family loved this as well as my coworkers! I have used variations such as cheese ravioli when the store was out of tortellini. I have also uses spinach instead of kale. Any way it has been a hit
I’m sooo happy that you love it Crystal! I just made this yesterday, I can’t get enough! 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review! -Stephanie ❤️
I used 1/1 sweet and 1/2 spicy sausage and it was delicious! Will definitely be making it again!
I’m so happy to hear that Marianne, nice work! Thanks so much for the review!❤️
Great recipe! My family loves it! Thank you
You’re very welcome Natalie! I’m so happy the family loved it! Thanks so much for the review!🩷
Recipe was so yummy! Wondering if anyone has tried adding more broth/cream so there’s a higher ratio of liquid. I thought the “soup” base was so yummy, I almost felt like there wasn’t enough! If I add more broth & cream, should I add more seasonings too? Thanks in advance!
Hi Sam! You can absolutely add more broth. Adding more cream might dilute the flavors a little more than you’d like so I would probably stick to using more broth, and maybe just a touch more cream. If you want to use 1.5 times the seasonings, that would be just fine as well! Play with the flavors until your ratio of broth is obtained and it tastes to your liking. (That is my favorite part about soup making!) 😁
We added 2.5 more cups of broth and 1/2 cup of cream. Perfection! This soup is sooooo good.
This soup is so amazing, and the flavors explode in your mouth! We have four kids, and they all raved about it. I have one kid that does not like tortellini, so she just didn’t put it in the soup and really enjoyed the “sausage” soup by itself. We like soups that are a little thicker, so we left a little bit of grease from the sausage and put a little extra flour. It was delicious and we will be making it part of our regular rotation. I feel confident in speaking for those of us that LOVE to cook, but aren’t able to do it without recipes (just don’t posses that natural ability). 🤗 Thank you so much for your creation!
Thanks so much for the wonderful comments and review Aimee!❤️ I’m extra happy to hear the kiddos enjoyed it!
Excellent recipe. I swapped spinach in place of the kale and it was delicious. Definitely adding to our regular rotation of meals!
I’m so happy to hear that Melissa! Thanks so much for the great review!😃
My family devoured this delicious soup – even the picky eater! I’ll definitely make it again!
Yayyy! I’m so happy to hear that Jennifer. Extra excited the picky eater approved. Thanks so much for the review!🩷