Creamy Tuscan Tortellini Soup
If you’re craving something cozy, creamy, and full of flavor, this Tuscan Tortellini Soup is going to be your new BFF. We’re talking tender cheesy tortellini, Italian sausage, white beans, spinach, and a rich tomato broth. It’s hearty enough for a balanced dinner, quick enough for a weeknight, and fancy enough that you could serve it to friends with a hunk of crusty bread and feel like an Italian nonna.
Erica’s Thoughts
So, I tested this recipe a lot of times. As a food blogger – that’s kind of the nature of the job right? And very occasionally my husband and girls will be like this again!? But the good news is that despite five recipe trials, they all loved this soup again and again.
My goals for the recipe testing were:
- Sun-dried tomatoes, yes or no? Answer: yes most def.
- Cook the sausage before or after the veggies? Answer: browning the sausage and then cooking the veggies in the leftover sausage grease is a great way to build flavor.
- Flour, yes or no? Answer: This one isn’t too big of a deal either way, but I do like adding just a touch of flour to thicken the broth ever so slightly.
- Tomato paste or crushed tomatoes? Answer: Chicken broth often comes in a 4-cup box or container and I like that adding crushed tomatoes adds to the brothiness of the soup without having to bust into another carton of chicken broth and they make for a lovely tomato broth that isn’t too tomato-y.
If you’ve made any of my previous soup recipes you’ll probably know that when I make soup I want it to be FULL of ‘things’. Some soups are way too brothy, nuh-uh. Unless it’s an intentionally chunkless soup, I want my soup to have a spoonful of all the things in every bite. Mission accomplished here. One thing though- the tortellini does soak up a lot of moisture, so if you’re eating this as leftovers you’ll want to add a big splash of broth or water when reheating.
This is episode two in my series Embarrassingly Easy Dinners ft Trader Joe’s shortcuts – you can grab everything you need from TJs or any regular grocery store. A kid-friendly, cozy, balanced and nourishing soup coming right up! I love to serve this with this with a piece of crusty bread and some sliced veggies or side salad.
Simple Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Tuscan Tortellini Soup:
Olive oil: just a swish to sauté the sausage and veggies.
Italian sausage: I’ve made this with regular Italian sausage and the chicken sausage from Trader Joe’s.
Mirepoix veggies: I took the lovely shortcut of pre-chopped mirepoix veggies (you can find this at most grocery stores!), but you can easily chop up a few stalks of celery, carrots and a sweet onion.
Garlic: I recommend fresh garlic cloves or garlic paste for best flavor.
Fresh thyme: Fresh herbs add a shocking amount of depth and flavor. In a pinch, you can use dried thyme.
Sun-dried tomatoes: Chopped and packed in olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes add little bursts of tangy sweetness. I love the ones from TJs.
Seasonings: Black pepper, red pepper flakes, kosher salt and Italian seasoning.
Flour: All-purpose flour helps thicken the broth slightly.
Chicken stock or broth: I like to opt for low-sodium chicken broth so I have more control over the seasoning.
Crushed tomatoes: Crushed tomatoes are tomatoes that have been peeled, seeded, and ground into a thick, slightly chunky sauce. You could also use tomato sauce or marinara sauce.
Cheese tortellini pasta: The star of the show! Grab a 10oz package of refrigerated cheese tortellini from the refrigerated aisle of the store or Trader Joe’s. If you don’t have fresh tortellini, dried or frozen works but will take a few more minutes of simmer time to cook through.
White beans: I love sneaking in creamy white beans (also called cannellini beans) wherever I can, they are such a good source of fiber and plant-based protein.
Spinach: Use as much as you want, fresh spinach wilts down a ton in the soup.
Heavy cream: Makes the most luxurious creamy broth – you can sub half and half for a lighter version.
Parmesan cheese: Stirred in and sprinkled on top. Go for the good stuff and grate it yourself. And if you have a parmesan rind, plop it in while the soup is simmering!
How to Make Creamy Tuscan Tortellini Soup
Heat olive oil in a large pot and brown the Italian sausage, breaking it up as it cooks. Remove to a plate, leaving a little fat behind for the veggies.
Add the fresh veggies (chopped onion, carrots and celery) to the pot and sauté until softened. Stir in garlic, thyme, sun-dried tomatoes, and seasonings. Sprinkle flour over the mixture and cook for another minute.
Pour in chicken stock and crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened.
Add the tortellini and white beans. After the tortellini cooks and is tender, stir in the spinach, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese. Cook just until the spinach wilts.
Ladle into bowls and serve hot with extra Parmesan, fresh basil, and black pepper. Tis the time of year for a great soup!
Variation Ideas
- Greens: instead of baby spinach try curly or Tuscan kale.
- Sausage: you can use any type of ground sausage you like or leave it out to keep things vegetarian.
- Tortellini: mushroom or spinach tortellini is also delicious.
- Spice: use spicy Italian sausage and extra red pepper flakes if you like a little heat! And conversely use mild Italian sausage and omit the red pepper flakes if you don’t like spice.
FAQs
Yes, frozen tortellini works just as well! Dried tortellini will take longer to cook (at least 8-10 minutes) but works just fine.
Omit the sausage and add a second can of beans and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
I would freeze the base of this soup and then add the tortellini, cream and parmesan when reheating.
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The tortellini soaks up a lot of moisture so add a splash of water or broth when reheating to get the soup back to its former brothy glory.
Crusty garlic baguette, a simple green salad or any green veggie.
I believe there are gluten-free tortellini varieties out there but if you can’t find one you can use a regular gluten-free pasta (it will take longer to cook, refer to package directions) and omit the flour.
Yep! Refer to the recipe notes section.
If you love this Tuscan Tortellini Soup you’ll love these other flavorful soup ideas:
A family favorite for busy weeknights – I hope you love this easy dinner!
If you try and like this recipe please don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating down below! If you love more lifestyle, behind the scenes and ‘eating in real life’ type of content come find me over on Instagram, @itsaflavorfullife, I love connecting with you all there!
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Creamy Tuscan Tortellini Soup
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
Cozy Tuscan Tortellini Soup with sausage, spinach, beans, and cheese tortellini in a creamy tomato broth. Easy weeknight comfort food the whole family loves!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb Italian sausage (chicken or pork)
- 3 cups mirepoix veggies (aka 3 stalks celery, 2 carrots, 1 small onion, all diced small)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 3 heaping tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock or broth
- 1 14.5oz can crushed tomatoes
- 10oz cheese tortellini
- 1 15oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups spinach, chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese + more for serving + parmesan rind if you have it!
- toppings: fresh basil, black pepper, parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat, add a swish of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the Italian sausage, breaking it up with a spatula or wooden spoon until browned and fully cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate or bowl, leaving about 1 tablespoon fat in the pan for the veggies.
- Add the mirepoix veggies, tossing to get them well-coated in oil/fat, sautéing until mostly softened, 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low and add 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh thyme, 3 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon each kosher salt and Italian seasoning. Stir until well combined and garlic is fragrant, 60 seconds. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of flour over the mixture, tossing to combine, cook for another minute.
- Pour in 4 cups chicken stock and 1 can of crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, cooking until the soup is thickened slightly, 5-10 minutes. If you have a parmesan rind, add it while the soup simmers. Add 10oz cheese tortellini and 1 can white beans. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until the tortellini float to the top and are fully cooked through and tender.
- Stir in the cooked sausage, 4 cups chopped spinach, 1 cup heavy cream and ½ cup of parmesan cheese. Ladle into bowls and serve hot topped with more parm, fresh basil and black pepper. NOM NOM.
Notes
Immediately after making the ratio of brothiness to fillings is perfect. However, the tortellini do soak up quite a lot of moisture, so you’ll need to add another 1-2 cups of water or broth when reheating if you have leftovers.
Instant Pot Instructions: Set Instant Pot to sauté and heat olive oil. Brown the sausage, then add mirepoix, garlic, thyme, sun-dried tomatoes, and seasonings, cooking 2- 3 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 30-60 seconds, then pour in the chicken stock and crushed tomatoes. Seal and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, followed by quick-release. Stir in tortellini, beans, spinach, cream, and Parmesan, using sauté mode until tortellini are tender and spinach is wilted. Serve hot with basil, extra Parmesan, and black pepper.
Slow Cooker Instructions: Brown sausage in a skillet over medium high heat. When it is fully cooked through, add the flour, tossing until coated and sautéing for 30-60 seconds. Add browned sausage, mirepoix, garlic, thyme, sun-dried tomatoes, seasonings, chicken stock, and crushed tomatoes to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the tortellini and beans, cooking until tortellini are tender. Just before serving, stir in spinach, cream, and Parmesan until the spinach wilts and the soup is creamy. Serve hot with fresh basil and extra Parmesan.
Refer to the above blog post for step-by-step photos, ingredient information and answers to frequently asked questions.
Nutrition facts are an estimate and may vary depending on brands/types of ingredients used.
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 heaping cups of soup
- Calories: 525
- Sugar: 8.4 g
- Sodium: 1157.6 mg
- Fat: 20.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 55.6 g
- Fiber: 9.7 g
- Protein: 31.8 g
- Cholesterol: 112.3 mg
When do you add back in the sausage?
good question – updating the recipe now, sorry for the oversight. It goes in with the cream, spinach and parm at the end!
My family of 4 loved this soup! We will definitely be making it again!
Took my basic tortellini soup to the next level & was 10/10
Weee! Thanks Courtney!
This was a wonderful and very flavorful recipe. Will be making it again!
This was super delicious. I made the recipe exactly as written (with the parmesan rind), and it turned out great, and my entire family loved it. I was so excited to eat the leftovers the next day, too!
This looks so good! Can I make this with precooked sausage links?
The only difference would be the difference in texture between ground sausage and links – the overall flavor and vibe would still be amazing!
I made this soup using gluten free tortellini and mild Italian chicken sausage. It was absolutely delicious!! It was very easy and straightforward to make. I was able to freeze the other half of the soup for a future meal. Seriously, I couldn’t stop eating this soup it was so good!
Yaassss love this Katharyn!
The coziest soup I’ve ever made!! This was fantastic and made a ton for my husband and I. One additional ingredient I added was parsnips with the carrots, celery, and onions. Thank you Erica!!