Making creamy tortellini soup with sausage and spinach is easy and will quickly become a favorite! Filled with sausage, tomatoes, tortellini, and spinach, you get all the food groups in one savory bowl. Make it creamy or make it without cream, your choice!
The easy sausage tortellini soup (crock pot, instant pot) is a fan with both adults and kids, nothing tastes better when you need a hearty comfort food soup the whole family will love. It's a Whole Lotta Yum!
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This Tortellini Soup with Sausage is for all you soup lovers
If you've been following our food blog for a while you might remember that I can't even have gluten and that my husband is on a keto diet. So why are we making an Italian sausage soup with tortellini??
Because of the kids, my friends, this is their FAVORITE! We originally got the tortellini soup recipe from my kind father-in-law and we've been making it at home for the kids for years. It's our most requested soup at home. When I decided to turn it into a blog post, we not only added a little cream to make a creamy version and spinach for color, but we turned it into a crockpot and instant pot tortellini soup recipe too.
If you're a soup lover like we are then you'll also want to check out our Zuppa Toscana crock-pot soup, pizza soup, stuffed pepper soup, and crockpot taco soup.
Why you'll love this Creamy Tortellini Soup
- The easy crockpot tortellini soup recipe only takes 15 minutes to put together before cooking
- It's a kid favorite and always a crowd-pleaser
- You can easily substitute frozen or fresh tortellini
- Tortellini soup with sausage and spinach is easy to customize! It's easy to modify with a different type of sausage or protein, use kale instead of spinach, or use another kind of pasta.
Sausage Tortellini Soup ingredients
The ingredients for the tortellini soup with Italian sausage and spinach are very simple! We love to keep all of these ingredients on hand in the pantry and we almost always have extra frozen tortellini and Italian sausages in the freezer.
- olive oil - just needed to sausage the sausage if you're pressure cooking the recipe
- onion
- garlic
- Italian seasoning
- chicken broth
- canned diced tomatoes
- Italian sausage, hot or sweet/mild - I use mild, but the spicy sausage would be yummy too or mix them. Chicken Italian sausage is great too.
- frozen cheese tortellini (or fresh) - My FIL's original recipe uses frozen tortellini, it might be hard to find at some stores. It's ok the swap for fresh cheese tortellini but it'll take less time to cook and it doesn't work well for the IP version unless you add it in at the end.
- parmesan cheese, shredded - we prefer shredding our own from a block for best flavor, plus it melts better
- heavy whipping cream - this is entirely optional depending on if you want a tomato broth version or a creamy version. Cream cheese would be yummy mixed in instead.
- fresh baby spinach - kale is another option
How to make crock pot Tortellini Soup
When you have a little extra time in your day and want to simply dump the ingredients in a pot and let the pot do the work, you'll love the crockpot tortellini soup version. You'll still need to brown the sausage and onions, but the rest is just a dump-and-go recipe.
- Preheat a large pan or stockpot over medium heat. Cook the hot or mild Italian sausage and chopped onion until cooked through.
- Add the minced garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for one more minute.
- Drain most of the grease from the pan, I like to keep at least 1 tablespoon in the pot to go into the soup since it adds a lot of flavor.
- Put the seasoned sausage mixture into a large crockpot, be sure to scrape up the bits of sausage from the bottom of the pan you cooked it in and add those to the crockpot also.
- Add the broth and a can of diced tomatoes. Stir all ingredients together.
- Cook the sausage tortellini soup crock pot recipe for 7-8 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high.
- 30 minutes before the cooking time is done, add the cheese tortellini, spinach, cream, and shredded parmesan to the pot. Turn the slow cooker to High and cook until the tortellini floats to the surface and the soup is heated throughout. Give the soup a stir before serving.
- Garnish the tortellini soup crock pot recipe with red pepper flakes, more parmesan, and/or fresh basil. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
How to make instant pot Tortellini Soup
- Turn the pressure cooker to Saute High.
- Saute the sausage in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until brown, you can drain the sausage after cooking, but be sure to leave at least 1 tablespoon of grease in the pot for cooking the onions and garlic so they won't stick.
- Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the cooked Italian sausage and saute for 2 more mins. Stir in the Italian seasoning and mix the seasoning sausage mix together.
- Add ½ cup of the broth to the pot to help scrape up the brown sausage bits from the bottom of the pot. Press Cancel to turn off the Saute function.
- Add the remaining broth, canned tomatoes, and frozen tortellini.
- Pressure Cook on High for 1 minute. Some instant pots have this as the Pressure Cook setting and others call it Manual.
- D0 a Natural Release for 3 minutes and then do a Quick Release to release the remaining pressure in the pot.
- Turn the pot back on Saute. Add in the fresh baby spinach and stir until wilted, which only takes 1-2 minutes. Slowly stir in the parmesan cheese, after it's melted, add the ¾ cup whipping cream. I like to add a little parmesan at a time, wait for it to melt, and then add a little more. This keeps the cheese from clumping or sticking to the pot.
Tortellini Soup Recipe tips
The recipe tips will be the same whether you're making a crock pot sausage tortellini soup or in the IP.
- Try to find the small tortellini, some brands make tortellini a little larger and the small ones work best.
- Fresh or frozen tortellini works for the tortellini soup crock pot version or stovetop. Frozen tortellini work best for a pressure cooker.
- Hot Italian pork sausage, mild/sweet Italian pork sausage, or Italian chicken sausage all work well. Use either already ground sausage or remove sausage from the casing if you're using something like Johnsonville Italian sausage.
- Tortellini crock pot soup does not keep very well, pasta soup absorbs the liquid and expands overnight. Feel free to add more chicken broth the next day if much of the liquid was absorbed into the tortellini.
Storing Tortellini Soup with Sausage
How long does cheese tortellini soup last in the fridge?
The crock pot sausage tortellini soup recipe technically lasts in the fridge for up to 5 days. Tortellini and all pasta soups have a tendency to absorb the liquid in the pot, which causes the pasta to swell in size and it reduces the liquid in the pot.
For BEST results you want to eat the soup recipe the day you make it. If you have leftovers, you most likely will add more chicken broth, cream, salt, and pepper to get the desired consistency.
Can You Freeze Tortellini Soup?
In general, trying to freeze the crock pot sausage tortellini soup is not a good idea. Neither cooked pasta nor cream freezes well and could become mushy or the cream could even separate. If you want to freeze the soup, you'll just want to make the recipe through the steps before adding the pasta.
Freeze the Italian sausage mixture and tomato broth in a freezer-proof container for up to 3 months. When you're ready to cook the soup, defrost it and reheat the soup. Add in the cheese tortellini, spinach, parmesan cheese, and cream per the remaining recipe instructions.
More Soup Recipes
If you love our Italian sausage soup with tortellini, be sure to try our other popular soups too!
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Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup (Crock Pot, Instant Pot)
Making creamy Crock pot Italian tortellini sausage soup is easy and will quickly become a favorite! Filled with sausage, tomatoes, tortellini, and spinach, you get all the food groups in one savory bowl.
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 7 cup chicken broth
- 28 oz can + 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
- 1 lb uncooked Italian sausage, mild or spicy
- 10 oz small frozen cheese tortellini (or fresh)
- ½ cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat a large pan or stockpot over medium heat. Add the olive oil to the pot. Cook the mild or hot Italian sausage and chopped onion until cooked through.
- Add the minced garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for one more minute.
- Drain most of the grease from the pan, I like to keep at least 1 tablespoon in the pot to go into the soup since it adds a lot of flavor.
- Put the seasoned sausage mixture into a large crockpot, be sure to scrape up the bits of sausage from the bottom of the pan you cooked it in and add those to the crockpot also. Add the chicken broth and a can of diced tomatoes. Stir all ingredients together.
- Cook the tortellini soup crock pot recipe for 4-5 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low.
- Add the tortellini, parmesan cheese, and fresh spinach, plus the cream if you're using it. Heat until the tortellini is cooked through.
- Garnish with red pepper flakes, more parmesan, and/or fresh basil. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Enjoy!
TORTELLINI SOUP (CROCK POT)
INSTANT POT
- Turn your pressure cooker to Saute and heat your pot.
- Saute the sausage in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 5 mins, you can drain the sausage after cooking, but be sure to leave at least 1 tablespoon of grease in the pot for cooking the onions and garlic so they won't stick.
- Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the cooked Italian sausage and saute for 2 more mins. Stir in the Italian seasoning and mix the seasoning sausage mix together.
- Add about a ½ cup of the chicken broth to the instant pot to help scrape up the brown sausage bits from the bottom of the pot. Press Cancel to turn off the Saute function.
- Add the remaining chicken broth, canned tomatoes, and frozen tortellini.
- Pressure Cook on High for 1 minute. Some instant pots have this as the Pressure Cook setting and others call it Manual.
- Let the instant pot tortellini soup do a Natural Release for 3 minutes and then do a Quick Release to release the remaining pressure in the pot.
- Turn the pot back on Saute. Add in the fresh baby spinach and stir until wilted, which only takes 1-2 minutes. Slowly stir in the parmesan cheese, after it's melted, add the ¾ cup whipping cream. I like to add a little parmesan at a time, wait for it to melt, and then add a little more. This keeps the cheese from clumping or sticking to the pot.
- Garnish with red pepper flakes, more parmesan, and/or fresh basil. Enjoy!
STOVETOP
1. Preheat a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the olive oil to the pot. Cook the sausage for 5 minutes, add the chopped onion, and saute the mixture for 5 more minutes. Add the minced garlic and Italian seasoning, and cook for 1 more minute.
Add the chicken broth and tomatoes, then turn the heat up to high to bring it to a boil. Once hot, turn the pot down to medium heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir in the tortellini, spinach, shredded parmesan, and cream if you're using it. Cook just until the tortellini are cooked through and the spinach is wilted, for 3+ depending on whether you're using fresh or frozen tortellini. Garnish and enjoy!
Notes
- Try to find the small tortellini, it works better in the recipe. Some brands only carry the larger tortellini.
- We don't recommend fresh tortellini for the Instant Pot version, it'll cook to fast and get soggy. If you only have fresh for your IP, stir it in at the end until cooked through.
- Hot Italian pork sausage, mild/sweet Italian pork sausage, or Italian chicken sausage all work well. Use either already ground sausage or remove sausage from the casing if you're using something like Johnsonville Italian sausage.
- The spinach is optional, chopped baby kale would be another option but might take longer to wilt than spinach.
- Tortellini soup does not keep very well, pasta soup absorbs the liquid and expands overnight. Feel free to add more chicken broth the next day if much of the liquid was absorbed into the tortellini.
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 442Total Fat 28gSaturated Fat 13gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 16gCholesterol 80mgSodium 1535mgCarbohydrates 27gFiber 3gSugar 6gProtein 21g
The nutrional information is just an estimate and was calculated by an automated calculator. If you're on a restricted health program please manually calculate this information using the brands of ingredients you have since brands can vary.
Cathey says
Can you freeze it and reheat for later?
WholeLottaYum says
If you freeze it for later, I wouldn't add the tortellini as it will expand. I'd freeze everything else and then add the pasta when you go to cook it.
Donna says
This is absolutely delicious! Even picky husband likes it, so that’s saying something. Will def be making this again. I used the stovetop method, made exactly as recipe state.
WholeLottaYum says
Thank you for your feedback Donna! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Lisa says
I made this in my Instapot and it was delicious! I followed the recipe and added kale to it instead of collards or spinach. I only added a cup of kale mostly for color and texture because the soup is so delicious you really could skip it all together. I love onions so I used two onions instead of one. Over all I thought it was better than any Italian restaurant soup I have eaten over the years. My husband absolutely loved it!!!!
As far as warming up, I warmed my soup up in the microwave and didn’t add any broth or water. I thought it was better the second day! I took some to my parents and they were instant fans of this recipe. It was a lot of fun cooking the soup. Most of all, it was fulfilling to receive all the nice compliments and see the smiles on my families faces😀
WholeLottaYum says
Thank you so much for the kind review, Lisa, I'm so glad your family loved the recipe! It's my kids' favorite 🙂
Krista says
Can you use frozen ravioli instead of tortellini?
WholeLottaYum says
You could but they will be much larger than tortellini. The cook time "should" be the same.
Lexi says
Hey there ! I wasn’t supposed to drain the diced tomatoes was I ? I didn’t think I should so I added all the juices ! Is this correct ? Thank you ! 🙂
WholeLottaYum says
That is correct! Add all of the juice in the cans! 🙂
kira says
What are the nutrition facts for this soup?
Allison says
As a type one diabetic who just made this also wondering..
Lauren says
Could you substitute ground beef for the sausage in the crock pot version?
Mel says
Hi Lauren, yes! You can definetly substitute the sausage for ground beef in the crock pot version. It might lessen the flavor slightly, since italian sausage is quite seasoned, but your soup should still be really good. Thanks!
Paige Bennett says
Omg. I was apprehensive at first because the recipe calls for 3 cans of petite diced tomatoes — a lot of tomatoes! But it is delicious!!! I used sweet sausage because my daughter doesn’t like spicy. And I forgot the chicken broth so I used bullion cubes and water instead. I am so excited to have a new soup to add to my recipe box... we’ll be making this for years
Katrina says
I didn’t have canned diced tomatoes so I dumped some regular tomato sauce in instead and it was great!! Whole family loved it. Thank you!!!
April says
Would I double the recipe ingredients to feed about 15 people
Jamie says
This is delicious! With the leftovers I did remove the tortellini from the soup and kept separate until reheating and it worked perfectly! 😋
WholeLottaYum says
Great tip, Jamie!
Theresa says
This was a great soup recipe. Since it is just the 2 of us, I halved most of the ingredients. It still made enough for probably 2-3 more meals. I made just one change in ingredients: substituted shallots for onion since my beloved can’t have onions. And I forgot to add the cream, but honestly we didn’t miss it. Will freeze the remainder for another time and add the spinach, tortellini and cheese for that pot. Easy Sunday dinner on top of stove, served with biscuits. Delish, it’s a keeper. Thank you!
WholeLottaYum says
We're glad you loved it! We often make the tortellini soup without cream too just to lighten things up a bit 🙂
Marisa Brenny says
I made this for lunch today and WOW! Why didn’t I make this sooner?! So good. It feels decadent but it’s so easy to make. We did the instant pot version. I love it!
Margie says
How many carbs and much sodium? My husband is on a low carb low sodium diet..
Tyleen says
Have you every tried it with frozen spinach? Since all the other ingredients can be basic pantry and freezer staples, it looks like a great recipe for one of those days when you might not have pre planned and don’t have fresh ingredients handy.
WholeLottaYum says
I haven't but I definitely think from spinach would work!