This cheese tortellini soup is ready in 30 minutes. All you have to do is cook some ground beef and onions, add broth, and then cook the tortellini. It is such a flavorful and easy soup to make.
When we were developing this recipe, we knew we wanted an easy soup recipe that people could make in under 30 minutes. We also knew that we wanted a tomato base and a cheesy tortellini.
After a few tries we perfected this cheese tortellini soup, with a zippy sauce and delicious chunks of ground Italian sausage.
What is in Cheese Tortellini Soup
Italian Sausage: We used hot Italian sausage which adds a nice spicy flavor to the soup! However, you can use any type of sausage you’d like! Or substitute with ground beef.
Pre-Made Refrigerated Cheese Tortellini: You may use fresh or frozen tortellini if you’d like, just keep in mind how long they’ll need to cook compared to pre-made.
Chicken Broth: Any broth will do, but we love how it tastes with chicken broth!
Kale: We’re a big fan of kale, but spinach will also taste amazing!
Parmesan: Parmesan is a must-have garnish for you cheese lovers. Don’t be afraid to make a little mountain of it on top of your soup if you wish.
Why you’ll love it!
- Easy, cheesy, beautiful: Not only is this tortellini soup recipe easy to make, but the way that the spinach mingles with the red soup makes this soup Cover Girl worthy! Not to mention CHEESE.
- Taste of home: This cheese tortellini soup is SO warm and comforting, you’ll want to wrap yourself in a blanket and sit by a window on a chilly day.
- One pot meal: Ya gotta love a recipe that can be made all in one pot! This soup is 100% made in a Dutch oven, making cleanup a breeze.
Variations + Substitutions
If you would like to make this soup vegetarian-friendly, skip the pork sausage and use plant-based ground or minced mushrooms.
Add extra hot sauce or red chili flakes to the soup for some extra spice.
There are so many different kinds of tortellini out there, feel free to buy tortellini with fun fillings.
Great Jones
The Dutchess
This is hands-down our favorite Dutch oven. It’s a 6.75 quart enameled cast iron Dutch oven that’s super high-quality and gorgeous.
Storage
Store this hearty tortellini soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheat your tortellini soup just like it’s cooked — LOW AND SLOW! Gently warm on the stovetop on low, stirring frequently. This will help prevent any separating or uneven reheating.
Freeze your tortellini soup WITHOUT the tortellini pasta. Frozen tortellini will become mushy as it thaws. You may freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Then, add fresh pasta when you are ready to heat it up.
Serving Suggestions
We love to up the cheese factor and eat our tortellini soup with our parmesan cheese crisps, cheesy garlic bread, bacon cheddar scones, and parmesan rosemary focaccia bread!
Cheese Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb. ground Italian sausage
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 9 oz. pre-made refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 3 cups kale chopped
- 2 oz. grated parmesan ~½ cup
Instructions
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium/high heat. Add the olive oil and Italian sausage and cook for 4-5 minutes. Use a spatula to break apart the Italian sausage.
- Add the onion and garlic to the Dutch oven and cook until the onions become translucent and soft — around 2 minutes.
- Next, add the chicken broth and crushed tomatoes to the pot and bring to a boil.
- Add the tortellini and reduce to a simmer. Cover the dutch oven and cook for 15 minutes.
- Turn the heat off and stir in the chopped kale. Place the cover back onto the Dutch oven and allow the kale to wilt for 5 minutes.
- Serve and garnish with freshly grated parmesan.
Tips & Notes
- Add 4 oz. of cream cheese to make this soup a little cheesier.
- Spice up the soup by adding 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper or using hot Italian sausage.
- Make this soup vegetarian by using vegetable broth and omitting the Italian sausage. If omitting the meat, 1 15-oz. can of garbanzo beans or northern beans would be a wonderful addition.
My family is all turkeyed-out over here, so I tossed this recipe together last night and it disappeared. Gone! Two adults, two tweens, no leftovers. We had a dozen King’s Hawaiian rolls left from Thanksgiving and I think you can guess just how well those went with this savory pot of deliciousness. Easy to make, delicious to eat, and almost no cleanup. I’ll be making this again, for sure.
Yum!