Mom's Best Recipes
Recipe

Warm Tortellini Soup

A cozy, weeknight-friendly tortellini soup with Italian sausage, tender veggies, and a creamy tomato broth that tastes like you tried harder than you did.

Author By Matt Campbell
4.8
A steaming bowl of creamy tomato tortellini soup with Italian sausage, spinach, and grated Parmesan on top, sitting on a wooden table with a spoon beside it
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There are two kinds of cold-day dinners: the ones that require a sink full of dishes, and the ones that quietly save your whole evening. This tortellini soup is firmly in the second camp.

It is warm, cozy, and just fancy enough to feel like a treat. We are talking pillowy cheese tortellini, a savory hit of Italian sausage, and a tomato-cream broth that tastes like it has been simmering all afternoon. It has not. You will be eating in about 40 minutes, give or take the time it takes you to find your ladle.

A pot of tortellini soup simmering on the stove with spinach wilting into the broth and tortellini floating on top

Why It Works

  • Big comfort, low drama: One pot, straightforward steps, and zero complicated techniques.
  • Balanced flavor: Tomato brings brightness, sausage brings depth, and a small splash of cream rounds everything out.
  • Perfect tortellini texture: The trick is cooking the tortellini at the end so it stays bouncy instead of bloated.
  • Flexible ingredients: Swap sausage for beans, spinach for kale, or add extra veggies without breaking the soup.

Pairs Well With

  • A rustic loaf of crusty bread sliced on a cutting board with a butter knife nearby

    Crusty bread or garlic bread for dunking

  • A simple green salad in a white bowl with cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and a light vinaigrette

    Simple green salad with a tangy vinaigrette

  • Roasted broccoli florets on a sheet pan with crisp browned edges

    Roasted broccoli with lemon and Parmesan

  • A small bowl of grated Parmesan cheese with a microplane grater next to it

    Extra Parmesan and red pepper flakes at the table

Storage Tips

Best move: If you can, store the tortellini separately from the soup. Tortellini loves soaking up broth like it is getting paid for it. If you cooked the tortellini in the pot, you can still scoop or strain it out before chilling the soup base.

Refrigerator

  • Broth base: Cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
  • Tortellini: Refrigerate separately for up to 3 days.

Freezer

  • Freeze the soup base only: Creamy soups can separate a bit, but this one reheats well if you whisk while warming. Freeze up to 3 months.
  • Freezing cooked tortellini is not recommended: The texture can turn soft and a little mushy. Cook fresh tortellini when you reheat the base.

Reheating

  • Warm the soup gently over medium-low heat, stirring often.
  • If it thickened in the fridge, add a splash of broth or water to loosen it.
  • Add tortellini at the end just until heated through.

Common Questions

Can I use frozen tortellini?

Yes. Add it a minute or two longer than refrigerated tortellini, and keep an eye on it. Pull it as soon as it is tender so it stays springy.

How do I keep tortellini from getting mushy?

Cook it at the very end and avoid boiling the soup hard. A gentle simmer is your friend. For leftovers, store tortellini separately if possible.

Can I make this soup without sausage?

Absolutely. Swap in 1 can of cannellini beans (drained and rinsed) or chickpeas. For extra savoriness (since you are losing that sausage boost), add an additional 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and a little extra Parmesan at the end.

Is this soup spicy?

Only if you want it to be. Use mild sausage for cozy vibes, hot sausage for a little heat, or add red pepper flakes at the table so everyone can choose their own adventure.

Can I use milk instead of heavy cream?

Yes, but it will be a bit less rich. Use whole milk if you can. Add it off the heat or at a very gentle simmer to reduce the chance of curdling.

This is the kind of soup I make when I want my kitchen to feel like a place where good things happen, even if the rest of the day was a little chaotic. I started making versions of tortellini soup because it hits that sweet spot: restaurant-cozy, but built from everyday ingredients you can grab at any grocery store.

My favorite part is the moment the tortellini goes in and you can tell dinner just became serious comfort food. Add a snowdrift of Parmesan, taste the broth, fix it with one more pinch of salt, and suddenly everyone is hovering near the stove “just to check.”