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–+ servings

Easy, Creamy Tortellini Soup with Spinach and Sausage

This delicious soup has a rich, creamy tomato broth and is packed with cheesy tortellini, Italian sausage and loads of spinach. It makes a hearty, comforting meal that's sure to warm you up on a chilly night.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 16 oz. fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil more, as needed
  • 1 pound Italian sausage sweet or hot, removed from casing if links
  • 2 large yellow onions finely chopped (3 cups)
  • 2 large carrots peeled and finely chopped (1/2 cup)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 5 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seed crushed (optional)
  • 6 oz canned tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 cup milk
  • 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
  • 10 oz baby spinach or large leaves, chopped
  • Parmesan for serving

Instructions

  • **OPTIONAL -- If pre-boiling tortellini, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add tortellini and cook until al dente or about 1 minute under package directions. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, and set aside until ready to use.
  • Set a large soup pot or Dutch Oven over medium-high heat. Add oil and when shimmering, add the sausage and cook, breaking it up into little pieces. When the sausage is mostly browned, remove it to a plate with a slotted spoon. If there’s a lot of fat in the pot, remove all but 2 tablespoons. If the pan is dry, add a little more olive oil. Add the onion and carrot, season with kosher salt and pepper, and sauté, stirring often, for 7 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
  • Add the garlic, crushed fennel seed, and tomato paste; sauté for an additional 3 minutes, stirring often, until the garlic is fragrant and the tomato paste is deep brick red.
  • Add wine and let it cook until pan is mostly dry, about 3 minutes. Stir the flour into the vegetables and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add in the broth, stirring to combine. Continue cooking until the mixture comes to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pot occasionally to make sure the flour isn't sticking.
  • Add the cream and cream cheese, and bring back to a low simmer, stirring until the cheese melts. Add back the sausage, and the tortellini and spinach. Cook just until spinach is wilted and the tortellini are hot (or simmer until al dente, if cooking in the soup).

Notes

**You can cook the tortellini in the soup itself, but we think the it makes the flavor a little muddy. If you don’t want to pre-boil, add the tortellini with the spinach and simmer until cooked, according to package directions.