Sausage Tortellini Soup

Bowl of tortellini soup with cheese tortellini, sausage, tomatoes, kale, carrots, and grated Parmesan in tomato broth.

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A rich tomato broth, Italian sausage, hearty kale, and cheese-filled tortellini come together in one pot to make a soup that is as practical as it is delicious. This recipe makes 12 servings, stores beautifully, and tastes even better the next day.

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 165kcal

Author: Shauna

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground mild Italian sausage
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons dry Italian seasoning blend
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
6 cups vegetable broth
2 14.5-ounce cans stewed tomatoes, roughly chopped with juices reserved
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil plus more for garnish
4 cups chopped fresh kale
1 20-ounce bag fresh cheese tortellini (RANA family size recommended)
Freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil for garnish optional

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in an 8-quart stockpot over medium-high heat.
Add the ground Italian sausage and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks, until golden brown with no pink remaining.
Transfer the cooked sausage to a paper towel-lined plate to drain the excess grease and set aside.
In the same stockpot over medium-high heat, add the diced carrots, diced yellow onion, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the tomato paste and stir it into the vegetables until fully incorporated.
Add the vegetable broth, roughly chopped stewed tomatoes with all their liquid, the cooked sausage, and the fresh basil. Stir to combine.
Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
Add the chopped fresh kale and the cheese tortellini to the pot.
Continue to simmer for 5 minutes, until the tortellini is tender and cooked through.
Taste the broth and adjust salt if needed before serving.

Notes

For the best results, use refrigerated fresh cheese tortellini rather than dried. The RANA family-size bag is the one I use.
Rough-chop the stewed tomatoes before adding them to the pot and save every drop of liquid from the can. That liquid is pure flavor.
If you use frozen tortellini instead of fresh, follow the cook time on the package. It may need a few extra minutes to cook through from frozen.
To make this soup ahead, cook through step seven and refrigerate the broth base for up to three days. Add the kale and tortellini fresh when you are ready to serve.
To freeze, prepare the soup through step seven without the kale and tortellini. Freeze the broth base for up to three months. Add fresh kale and tortellini when reheating.

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