Instant Pot Sausage Tortellini Soup

This rich and hearty tortellini soup is perfect for a hectic weeknight dinner! Full of zesty Italian sausage, cheesy pasta and wilted spinach, cooked in a creamy tomato based soup that’s bursting with flavor.  With only 5 minutes of pressure cooking time, this is a meal you can have on the table – FAST!

Recipes like my Copycat Zuppa Toscana and Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup are great for when you want an ultra-comforting family meal. We love cooking soups and stews during the Winter, and this is one of my Soup Recipes you’ll definitely want in your recipe rotation!

SAUSAGE TORTELLINI SOUP

This soup… you guys, it’s PERFECT for a chilly night.  So warm and cozy, yet hearty enough that you’re not hungry an hour later.  Stick to your ribs comfort… in a bowl!

The zesty Italian sausage adds just enough kick to tingle your tongue, then the smooth cheesiness of the tortellini mellows it out.  Plus, there’s spinach… sooooo it’s healthy, right?  That’s my rationalization.

Grab a bowl of tortellini soup, a hunk of crusty bread, maybe even a Caesar salad, and curl up on the couch with your favorite show.

I promise you, you don’t want to miss out on this soup!

HOW TO MAKE TORTELLINI SOUP IN THE PRESSURE COOKER

1. Brown the Italian sausage and onion on “saute” mode.  Add the garlic the last 30 seconds of browning.
2. Drain grease if needed, then add spices, broth, tomato puree and crushed tomatoes.
3. Pressure cook for 5 minutes, then perform a quick pressure release.
4. Select “saute” mode again, and add tortellini, cream, cheese and spinach.  Cook 2-3 minutes, then serve.

This is such a quick and easy soup to make, I promise!

COOKING TIPS FOR SAUSAGE TORTELLINI SOUP

• BROWNING – I don’t recommend skipping this step, the sausage needs to be cooked before this soup is pressure cooked.
• ONION TIMING – I prefer to add my onions after my sausage is mostly browned, since as the onions cook, they release moisture.  This moisture loosens any browned bits from the sausage, and prevents you from getting the dreaded “burn” notice on your Instant Pot.
• DEGLAZE – this is just a fancy word for when you add a liquid to a pot that has browned food in it, and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen those bits.  The onion did a lot of that work for you, but just in case, give it a gentle scrape with a wooden spoon to make sure.  Plus, those bits = flavor!
• TORTELLINI – our family prefers the taste and texture of fresh tortellini, which is what this recipe is tested with.  Our favorite brand is Buitoni, and we love the three cheese and chicken and herb varieties!  If you use dried tortellini, it can be added with the other pressure cooked ingredients.  Frozen tortellini should still probably be added afterwards, but will need a few extra minutes to cook through.

VARIATIONS OF THIS RECIPE

• TONE DOWN THE HEAT – this soup really isn’t spicy, but if you prefer to not use hot Italian sausage, you can absolutely use mild.
• ADD MORE MEAT – I like to add some leftover shredded chicken (or from a rotisserie chicken) at the end while the tortellini cooks.  Bumps up the protein, and added yummy texture and flavors too!
• VEGETARIAN – swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth, use all cheese tortellini and omit the sausage for a vegetarian version.
• ADD MORE VEGGIES – some diced carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, etc are a nice addition if you’d like to add them.
• TO CREAM OR NOT TO CREAM – feel free to omit the cream if you’d prefer a non-creamy version, or add more cream for an extra-creamy version.
• OTHER COOKING METHODS – no Instant Pot?  No problem!  I have slow cooker and stovetop instructions down in the “notes” section of the recipe card.

MAKING SAUSAGE TORTELLINI SOUP AHEAD OF TIME

If you plan to make this soup ahead of time, don’t add the tortellini, cheese, cream or spinach.

The pasta will soak up additional liquid take on a not so great consistency after several days.

When reheating, add tortellini, cheese, cream, and spinach.

FREEZING

I don’t recommend freezing the leftovers of this soup, as the dairy and pasta can have a tendency to not freeze particularly well.

However, if you plan to make this soup with the intention of freezing it, don’t add the tortellini, cheese, cream or spinach.  Let cool completely, then transfer to containers and freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and when reheating, add tortellini, cheese, cream, and spinach.

STORAGE

Leftovers should be refrigerated and consumed within 5-7 days.

The tortellini will soak up additional broth as it sits, so when you reheat, you may need to add some additional chicken stock to thin it back out.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT FOR THIS RECIPE

• Instant Pot – I recently upgraded to this model and I love it!
• Slow Cooker – I’ve had this slow cooker for years and it still works perfectly.
• Dutch Oven – LeCreuset is my favorite brand, but they’re really pricey, so this Lodge version is a great alternative!

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN TO CHECK OUT OTHER READERS’ COMMENTS FOR TIPS AND REVIEWS.

AND DON’T FORGET, IF YOU’VE MADE THIS RECIPE, LEAVE A COMMENT AND PLEASE GIVE IT A STAR RATING LETTING ME KNOW HOW YOU ENJOYED IT!