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
- Brown the Italian sausage and onion on “saute” mode. Add the garlic the last 30 seconds of browning.
- Drain grease if needed, then add spices, broth, tomato puree and crushed tomatoes.
- Pressure cook for 5 minutes, then perform a quick pressure release.
- 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!
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Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 lb hot Italian sausage
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 4 - 5 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 15 oz tomato puree (or tomato sauce if you can't get puree)
- 15 oz crushed tomatoes
- 9 oz package fresh tortellini (3 cheese, or chicken and herb variety)
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for garnishing if desired)
- fresh parsley/basil (for garnish - optional)
Instructions
- Press the saute button on Instant pot. Add vegetable oil and heat until hot. Add sausage and brown, stirring and breaking apart into crumbles as it cooks.
- After sausage has cooked about halfway through, add the onion and cook another 3-4 minutes, until onion is soft. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Drain grease if needed, and return sausage mixture to the pot.
- Add Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and chicken broth, using a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot to ensure no browned bits are stuck on there.
- Add tomato puree and crushed tomatoes, and give it a quick stir.
- Cancel the saute function, and secure Instant Pot lid, making sure the valve is set to "sealing". Press the Pressure Cook or Manual button and use the +/- buttons to set the timer for 5 minutes.
- Once the timer beeps, let out the pressure by carefully moving the valve to “venting" to perform a quick release.
- When the pin drops, remove lid and set aside. Press the saute button once again, and add tortellini, spinach, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese.
- Stir and heat for about 2-3 minutes, or until tortellini is warmed through and they've floated to the top.
- Serve warm, garnished with a sprinkle of extra Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley/basil.
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Chef Tips
SLOW COOKER DIRECTIONS
- In a large pan add vegetable oil and heat over MED HIGH heat. Add sausage and onion and cook 5-8 minutes, breaking apart sausage into crumbles as it cooks.
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Drain excess grease if needed.
- Transfer sausage mixture to a 6 quart slow cooker and add Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, chicken broth, tomato puree and crushed tomatoes. Stir.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours, or HIGH for 2-3 hours.
- Remove lid and add tortellini, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese. Stir, cover, and cook another 20-25 minutes. The last 7 minutes or so, add spinach.
- Serve warm, garnished with a sprinkle of extra Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley/basil.
STOVETOP INSTRUCTIONS
- Add vegetable oil to a large heavy bottomed pot (dutch ovens work well for this), and heat over MED HIGH heat.
- Add sausage and onion and cook 5-8 minutes, breaking apart sausage into crumbles as it cooks.
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Drain excess grease if needed.
- Add Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, chicken broth, tomato puree and crushed tomatoes. Stir and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to a high simmer, and continue to cook 5-10 minutes.
- Add tortellini, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese. Stir, and cook another 7-10minutes. The last few minutes, add the spinach.
- Serve warm, garnished with a sprinkle of extra Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley/basil.
Video
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Tayler Moore says
Excellent soup! This recipe is so quick, easy, & better yet, my kids love it! My husband entered me into a soup contest at his work & requested that I make this. We won! So this recipe is literally award winning! The only thing I change is I add the entire 19oz bag of tortellini that I buy instead of what it calls for.
Thank you for creating this! Soup-er good!
Tayler Moore says
Oops, forgot to include that we do the crock pot version. Love that that is included as part of the options.