Tuscan Tortellini Soup (Printable)

Hearty Italian soup with cheese tortellini, sausage, spinach, and creamy tomato broth. Comfort food made easy.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1 lb Italian sausage (mild or spicy), casings removed

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 4 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped

→ Broth & Dairy

05 - 3⅓ cups low-sodium chicken broth
06 - 1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes
07 - 1 cup heavy cream

→ Pasta

08 - 10 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini

→ Seasonings

09 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs (basil, oregano, thyme mix)
10 - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Finishing Touches

12 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
13 - Fresh basil or parsley, chopped (optional)

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, cook the Italian sausage over medium heat, breaking it apart with a spoon until browned and cooked through, about 5–7 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
02 - Add the diced onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Pour in the chicken broth and crushed tomatoes. Stir in the Italian herbs and red pepper flakes. Bring to a gentle boil.
04 - Lower the heat and add the tortellini. Simmer according to package instructions, usually 4–6 minutes, until the pasta is tender.
05 - Stir in the heavy cream and spinach. Simmer for 2–3 minutes, just until the spinach wilts and the soup achieves a creamy consistency.
06 - Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with Parmesan and fresh herbs, if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you simmered it all day but comes together in under an hour, which is perfect when youre pretending to have your life together.
  • The creamy tomato broth clings to every piece of tortellini in a way that makes you want to tilt the bowl and drink whats left.
  • You can adjust the spice level and swap ingredients without wrecking it, so it works whether youre cooking for kids or someone who keeps hot sauce in their purse.
02 -
  • Dont add the spinach too early or it turns drab and slimy, wait until the very end so it stays bright and just barely wilted.
  • If you skip draining the sausage and it was particularly fatty, your soup will have an oily slick on top that no amount of stirring will fix.
  • Refrigerated tortellini cooks much faster than dried, so if you use dried by accident, add at least 10 more minutes or youll be chewing on hard pasta.
03 -
  • Use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage as it cooks, it crumbles more evenly than a spatula and wont scratch your pot.
  • Taste the broth before adding the tortellini, because once the pasta is in, its harder to adjust the seasoning without over salting the whole thing.
  • If the soup feels too thick after sitting, dont panic, just stir in a little broth or even water until it loosens up again.
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