Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage & Kale
Published: October 20, 2020 | Last modified: February 8, 2023.
With chunks of spicy sausage, cheesy pasta and lots of greens cooked in a rich and creamy broth, this Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage & Kale is cozy, comforting and pretty much the definition of a hearty cold weather soup!
This creamy Italian-inspired tortellini soup is a favourite here for an easy weeknight, game day or snowy Sunday dinner. It’s also one of the first recipes I posted over three years ago and was long overdue for an update.
This quick and easy recipe is flexible enough to satisfy any dietary requirements. You can make it with both meat and dairy if that is your preference or substitute your favourite dairy free and plant-based options. I’m even willing to bet that you probably already have most of the ingredients you’ll need to make it in your pantry at home. It’s that easy!
My best tip:
Take care to not overcook the tortellini. Like any soup made with pasta, the tortellini will start to break down once the soup has cooled. If you don’t plan to serve it right away, I recommend reserving both the kale and the tortellini until you’re ready to serve, then cook as instructed below.
This tortellini soup with Italian sausage and kale is a super quick, flavourful and satisfying one-pot meal best served with lots of your favourite crusty bread for dipping. Hearty and satisfying, it’s cheesy, herby, a little spicy and So. Very. Good!
Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage & Kale
Makes 4-6 servings; prep time 10 minutes, cook time 30 minutes.
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
375 grams (¾ lb) Italian sausage, ground or casings removed (sub your favourite plant-based option)
1 medium onion, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 400 ml (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 350g (12 oz) package cheese tortellini
2 heaping cups torn or roughly chopped kale, thick stems removed
1 cup heavy cream (or 1 400 ml (14 oz) can full fat coconut milk)
Fresh basil and freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
Instructions:
In a large soup pot or 4 Qt Dutch oven, heat oil and cook sausage, onion and garlic on medium heat until the sausage is browned, breaking it up as you go, about 5-7 minutes.
Add vegetable broth, crushed tomatoes and tomato paste and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, whisking everything together until well combined. Reduce heat to simmer, add oregano, rosemary, thyme and salt and continue to cook until fragrant, about 10 minutes.
Stir in pasta, kale and cream and continue to cook just until the kale is wilted and the pasta pierces easily with a fork, about 5 minutes.
Transfer to bowls, top with fresh basil and Parmesan and serve.
