With savory Italian sausage, kale, and cheese tortellini, this Sausage Tortellini Soup is a bear hug in a bowl. Make it creamy, finish it with Parm, and bask in the glory of a one-pot meal the whole family will love!

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Why You’ll Love This Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup Recipe
- Easy to Make. Okay, it might not be quite as hands-off as Crockpot Tortellini Soup, but once you’ve prepped all the ingredients, this creamy sausage tortellini soup is an absolute dream. Plus, the ingredients here are so flavorful, it doesn’t need a long simmer on the stovetop!
- Hearty and Delicious. While the veggies and kale do a lot of work too, it’s the tortellini and Italian sausage that really make this soup tasty and supremely satisfying. (From Sausage and Peppers to Butternut Squash Sausage Pasta, Italian sausage has a way of making everything delectable!)
- Make It Your Own. You’ve got a lot of leeway to play around with this kale sausage tortellini soup and put your own spin on it. Like Cabbage Soup and Kale Soup, it’s hard to go wrong as long as you keep the ingredient proportions the same.

How to Make Sausage Tortellini Soup
The Ingredients
- Ground Italian Turkey Sausage. Turkey sausage is lower in fat than pork, but just as flavorful. Both spicy Italian sausage or sweet Italian sausage will work in this easy tortellini soup.
- Vegetables. Onions and carrots are expected, but the fennel may make you raise an eyebrow—at least on paper. Once you try it, though, you will get it. Fennel pairs fabulously with Italian sausage; it tastes mellow and makes the soup. more complex.
- Tomato Paste + Garlic. Two heavy hitters when it comes to adding depth to this sausage tortellini soup.
- Chicken Broth. I always use low-sodium broth, which allows me to season the soup to my liking.
- Italian Seasoning. Because who wants to haul six different jars out of the pantry when you can just grab one? This seasoning also does the heavy lifting in my Turkey Sausage.
- Greens. You can use kale for a heartier texture, or make sausage tortellini soup with spinach if you prefer your greens silky and soft.
- Tortellini. Cheese tortellini is the classic choice for tortellini soup, but you can switch things up with another flavor. Porcini tortellini would be fantastic!
- Red Wine Vinegar. As with Pasta Fagioli, a splash of vinegar adds balance and brightness.
- Heavy Cream or Half-and-Half. Optional! But if you want a creamy sausage tortellini soup, this is the ticket.
- Parmesan Cheese and Parsley. The garnish of choice for Broccoli Pasta and tortellini soup.
The Directions

- Brown the Sausage. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat into spoon-size crumbles as it browns.

- Add the Vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.

- Soften the Veggies. Cook until the onion is translucent.

- Add the Tomato Paste and Garlic. Cook until fragrant, then add the flour and cook for a minute.

- Deglaze the Pan. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits.

- Add the Italian Seasoning. Stir it in.

- Simmer. Increase the heat to high until the liquid reaches a simmer, then reduce the heat and maintain the simmer until the carrots are tender.

- Finish. Stir in the tortellini and kale, along with the heavy cream if you’re using it. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer until the tortellini is cooked and the kale is tender. Stir in the vinegar, then ladle the sausage tortellini soup into bowls and garnish with Parmesan and parsley. ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Transfer leftover soup to an airtight storage container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. Gently rewarm the soup in a pan on the stove over medium-low heat; if needed, you can add a splash of broth to thin it out a bit. You can also rewarm this soup in the microwave.
- To Freeze. Store Italian sausage tortellini soup in an airtight freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating according to the instructions above.
Meal Prep Tip
Chop the vegetables up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate them in an airtight container until you’re ready to cook.

What to Serve with Sausage Tortellini Soup
- Bread. Homemade Dinner Rolls are always fabulous with soup, or serve it with thick slices of toasted Rosemary Olive Oil Bread.
- Salad. Pair sausage tortellini soup with Arugula Salad,
- Focaccia. No Knead Focaccia is fantastic for soaking up the broth of this Italian-inspired soup.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Ladle. An essential for serving any soup!
- Garlic Press Rocker + Leaf Herb Stripper. A multipurpose tool that I use almost daily.
- Dutch Oven. Use it for everything from soup to Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler!
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Wash the Kale Thoroughly. Curly kale leaves often hide grit and sand. Run them under the faucet, inspecting each leaf as you go.
- Use a Delicious Broth. Store-bought bouillon cubes are convenient, but their flavor often falls flat—or they’re overly salty. Same thing goes for cheap canned broths. Spring for the good stuff, or use homemade broth if you have some on hand.
- Be Sure to Deglaze the Pan. Those little brown bits you scrape off the bottom of the pot when adding the broth dissolve into the soup and add lots of depth and notes of caramelization.
- Grate Your Own Parmesan. It tastes better, and it melts so much more smoothly!

Sausage Tortellini Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound ground Italian turkey sausage removed from the casings if needed
- 1 large yellow onion chopped, about 2 cups
- 1 large fennel bulb chopped, about 2 cups
- 3 large carrots chopped, about 1 1/2 cups
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic minced about 1 tablespoon
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 5 to 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 4 cups chopped kale or spinach
- 1 (9-ounce) package tortellini (I used 3-cheese)
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup heavy cream or half-and-half optional but very good
- Finely grated Parmesan cheese for serving
- Chopped fresh parsley optional for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or similar large, deep soup pot. Add the sausage and begin breaking apart the meat. Once it is fairly broken up, add the onion, fennel, carrots, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook and break up the sausage, until it is browned and cooked through and the onion is turning translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and garlic and cook stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over the top. Stir and cook for 1 full minute to remove any raw flour taste.
- Slowly pour in 5 cups of the chicken broth, stirring to scrape up any bits that are stuck along the bottom of the pan. Add the Italian seasoning. Stir to combine.
- Increase the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and let simmer for 5 minutes, until the carrots are tender.
- Stir in the tortellini and kale,* then the heavy cream. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, and simmer until the tortellini is cooked through and the kale is tender, about 5 minutes. If the soup is thicker than you would like, add the remaining chicken broth until your desired consistency is reached.
- Stir in the red wine vinegar. Serve hot, topped with lots of Parmesan and a sprinkle of parsley.
Notes
- *If you are using spinach, wait to add it until the tortellini is cooked; it will wilt almost immediately.
- TO STORE: Transfer leftover soup to an airtight storage container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm the soup in a pan on the stove over medium-low heat; if needed, you can add a splash of broth to thin it out a bit. You can also rewarm this soup in the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: Store Italian sausage tortellini soup in an airtight freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating according to the instructions above.
Nutrition
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Made this tonight because it’s cold and rainy outside and it was perfect! So warm and cozy, but without feeling heavy. I had almost all the ingredients already so I just subbed the tortellini for the frozen ravioli I had at home. It turned out great and even my hubby who isn’t a huge soup fan asked me to make this again sometime! It was very easy to make and tasted delicious. Thank you for the great recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it, Hannah! Thank you!
This soup is so amazing, and the flavors explode in your mouth! We have four kids, and they all raved about it.
Happy to hear that you enjoyed the soup, Luna! Thank you!
This was even better than I anticipated! So much flavor with the addition of the heavy cream. I doubled the Italian seasoning and added a bit of cayenne pepper for some added kick and it was awesome. Even my picky eater likes it! I add a few potatoes, carrots and use spinach instead of kale. It’s just as good reheated the next day as well. Thank you!
Glad it worked well for you, Charlotte! Thank you!
Has anyone tried this with frozen tortellini? Was thinking about just cooking separately and adding it later since that’s all I have on hand.
Hi Kristen I think frozen would work. Frozen shouldn’t take a minute or two longer to cook. Hope this helps! Let us know how it goes!
We absolutely loved it!
Great to hear, thank you Sherry!
This recipe was delicious and worked out very well! I loved the use of Italian turkey sausage to lighten it up a little and all the yummy veggies. The tortellini are usually a win with my kids and one kid couldn’t get enough and another at least had some bites, so that’s a win in my mom book! Plus me and my husband thought delicious. Will definitely make again.
Great to hear! Thank you Nicole!
Excellent! I didn’t put the spinach or kale in and it was still fantastic. Love this!
Great to hear! Thank you Kathy!