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This creamy tortellini soup comes to the table in a single pot with just a few minutes of prep. It’s loaded with wholesome veggies, savory smoked sausage, and cheese-filled tortellini for a hearty bowl of comfort.
Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Rich and hearty with smoky sausage, crispy bacon, tender tortellini, and fresh spinach, all simmered in a savory broth.
- Time-Saving Tip: Check the produce section for a packaged ‘mirepoix’, which is celery, carrot, and onion, instead of chopping veggies yourself!
- Swaps: You can substitute the smoked sausage with Italian sausage or even chicken sausage for a different flavor. Use kale instead of spinach or add other veggies like zucchini or bell peppers.
- Serving Suggestions: Serve this creamy tortellini soup with a side of crusty bread and a simple green salad for a complete meal.
Ingredient Tips for Creamy Tortellini Soup
- Sausage: Use a fully cooked smoked sausage in this recipe. Kielbasa, garlic sausage or any smoked variety works well. You can also swap in frozen meatballs or cooked chicken.
- Tortellini: I use cheese tortellini pasta, but you can use any type, including spinach-filled or ravioli. If neither is available, shelf-stable gnocchi or a medium pasta is a great replacement.
- Broth: This rich broth is made with heavy cream and chicken broth. For a lighter broth, use evaporated milk. Be careful not to boil, just simmer lightly to avoid the cream splitting.
Switch Ups
- Add extra vegetables such as broccoli, green peas, or green beans.
- Replace the bacon with leftover ham, diced pancetta, or chorizo.
- Swap the dried basil for Italian seasoning.
- Garnish with fresh parsley or fresh basil and some extra parmesan before serving.
What to Do with Leftovers
Keep leftover creamy sausage tortellini soup in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheat portions on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Freezing this soup isn’t recommended due to the dairy and tortellini, which may not thaw well.
Serve Simmering Soup With…
Did your family enjoy this Creamy Tortellini Soup? Leave a rating and comment below.
Creamy Tortellini Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon chopped
- 8 ounces smoked sausage sliced ½-inch thick
- ½ medium yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 carrot sliced
- 1 rib celery sliced
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 6 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini spinach tortellini
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup fresh spinach packed, chopped
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook bacon in a large pot over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add sausage, onion, and garlic to the bacon fat and cook 3-4 minutes or until onion is slightly softened.
- Stir in chicken broth, carrot, celery, basil, and chili flakes if using. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add tortellini and simmer 4-5 minutes or until cooked through.
- Stir in cream and simmer for 1 more minute. Combine cornstarch and 1½ tablespoons water to create a slurry.
- Add cornstarch mixture to simmering soup a little at a time while whisking to reach desired thickness; you may not need to use all of the slurry. Simmer 1 minute.
- Remove from heat and add spinach. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
- Garnish with crumbled bacon, parmesan cheese, and parsley if desired.
Notes
- For a quick prep, start by cutting and cooking the bacon. While the bacon is cooking, begin preparing the other items.
- If you have fresh herbs, they can be added just before serving if desired.
- If you plan on keeping leftovers, cook the tortellini on the side and add it to each dish. It can become mushy if it sits in the broth too long.
- Dairy doesn’t always freeze well. If you’d like to freeze this soup, remove a portion before adding the cream and tortellini. Once thawed, cream and tortellini can be added.
- Leftover soup will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Soup
Cuisine American, Italian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Your recipe for Creamy Tortellini Soup calls for 6-ounces of cheese tortellini spinach tortellini. Might this actually mean 6-ounces of cheese tortellini AND 6-ounces of spinach tortellini? The recipe wasn’t clear!
We use 6 ounces total of tortellini. I like using cheese tortellini but spinach tortellini is another great option. I hope that helps!
Great recipe and pretty quick to get on the table.
Hi, I’m not sure what Smoked Sausage is, can someone tell me please. Thanks much!
This is the sausage that is often sold as a ring, garlic sausage or kielbasa are great options!
It is very very good! I added extra carrots , celery and spinach as my family loves veggies.
Such an easy and delicious soup that comes together in 1 pot! I cook the onions in the bacon grease by themselves for a bit to get them nice and tender and add the bacon back in at the end, but this was such a great find! Thank you very much for sharing your recipe.
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe Trina!
could you use frozen veggies instead of fresh? i have frozen that i need to use up before they get freezer burnt.
Sure you can Mel! If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
Hi, I am allergic to spinach. Would using chard ruin it or can I completely leave that out? Thank you. :)
Hmm, I think swiss chard would work well in this recipe but you could leave it out if you prefer.
Truly delicious! Comfort in a bowl. I doubled the recipe that I made three days ago and have already been asked to make it again. Thank you Holly for another super recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it, Sandy!
my husband says this soup needs to go into our dinner rotation. even the 1 year old ate it up! i used too much better than bouillon, and it was just a bit salty. next time i will buy low sodium box broth. the combination of all the ingredients had an exquisite texture. the taste was so comforting! just as expected, you did it again, holly nilsson! great job!
So glad you hear that your family loves this soup Holly! Thank you!
This was excellent!
Yum. Nice to have such a hearty soup on a cold winters day in South Dakota! Thank you for posting :)
You’re very welcome!
I don’t see where the bacon is added back in. Is it only supposed to be used for the grease?
Sorry for the confusion, the bacon is added as garnish for serving.
Is the bacon only used for the bacon grease? Can you crumble it and put it on top of the soup as a garnish?
Sorry for the confusion, the bacon is added as garnish for serving.
Received this on emailed recipes and I just had to have it. SOOOO very good.
Followed recipe just doubled the spinach bc I love it so much and I used turkey bacon and turkey sausage bc I don’t eat beef or pork. Oh and I quartered the link sausage then sliced it son I could have a combo bite.
So meaty, Smokey, cheesy and creamy I could eat this everyday.
Food processor made it super easy.
Can ya use frozen tortellini?
Sure you can! You might need to add a couple minutes of cook time.
Could I use Orzo instead? Otherwise, love EVERYTHING about this recipe!!!!!!!
Thanks, Jan
Sure you can Janet! Let us know how it goes for you.