Creamy Chicken Sausage Soup with Tortellini
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This hearty Chicken Sausage Soup with Tortellini features a creamy tomato broth that’s packed with veggies, chicken sausage coins, and cheese tortellini. It’s a comforting one pot meal that makes great leftovers, too!
Table of Contents
I love my Dutch oven with a fierceness that borders on concerning. I use it for braising chicken, making one pot rice dishes, whipping up big batches of Italian Sausage Chili, and, of course, for crafting hearty soups like this Creamy Chicken Sausage Soup.
There’s something immensely satisfying about making soup in large quantities. It brings out some primal need in me to feed people, awakening my inner medieval woman. Suddenly, I am transported to a filthy tavern in rainy England, huddled over an open fire, stirring a giant cauldron of odds and ends together to serve a crowd of bedraggled villagers.
And then, of course, there are the smells of soup. First, the sauteed veggies and garlic, then the rich tomatoes and chicken sausage. A swirl of cream, a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. It’s a feast for the senses. A cure for whatever ails you. A great soup beckons you to come and taste, and this, my friends, is a great soup.
Here’s Why You’ll Love this Chicken Sausage Soup
- It’s made in one pot. No extra dishes needed for the tortellini, it gets cooked right alongside the rest of the soup!
- It’s chock full of veggies. Onion, zucchini, and baby spinach pack a nutritional punch all in a light, creamy tomato broth.
- It’s hearty without feeling too heavy. Just a touch of cream and Parmesan make this soup feel so luxurious without weighing you down!
- It makes a big batch. This soup easily feeds 8, making it great for dinner parties or for having plenty of leftovers for the week ahead.
Key Ingredients
Onion– I recommend a small or medium yellow onion.
Garlic– Pre-minced garlic or freshly peeled and minced both work well.
Chicken sausage– Chicken sausage is such a versatile ingredient that comes in many different flavors. I recommend choosing a savory variety like Italian or garlic mozzarella. Save the maple and apple flavors for our Sweet Potato Chicken Sausage Hash!
Chicken broth– Whatever chicken broth you have on hand should work fine. I usually use Better than Bouillon’s lower sodium chicken stock.
Canned diced tomatoes and tomato sauce– You’ll find both of these in the canned food section of your grocery store. Note that you’ll need plain tomato sauce, not marinara or pasta sauce.
Zucchini– I love adding zucchini to soups. It’s quick cooking and adds great flavor and nutrition. You could also use yellow squash.
Frozen tortellini– Pick up a bag of cheese tortellini in the frozen food aisle of your grocery store.
Baby spinach– Fresh spinach wilts right into the soup at the very end, soaking up all the flavors of the broth. Even picky eaters might not notice it!
Cream– I used heavy cream, but you can also substitute half and half to make the soup a little lighter.
Parmesan cheese– Parmesan adds a complex saltiness to the finished soup and is great for serving too! Just say “when”!
Fresh herbs– We finish the soup with fresh basil and parsley. I love the summery flavors these two herbs impart, but if you can’t get your hands on fresh herbs, you can substitute half the amount of dried.
How to Make Creamy Chicken Sausage Soup
Step 1: Saute onions and chicken sausage. Saute the onions in oil until beginning to soften, about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and saute about 30 seconds. Add the chicken sausage coins and saute, turning occasionally until browned and heated through, 3-4 minutes.
Step 2: Stir in wet ingredients. Add the broth, diced tomatoes with their juices, and tomato sauce and bring to a boil.
Step 3: Add zucchini and tortellini. Add the zucchini and cook 2 minutes, then add the tortellini and cook an addition 5 minutes.
Step 4: Stir in spinach, cream and Parmesan. Lower the heat, then stir in spinach until wilted. Add cream and Parmesan, stirring until melted. Stir in parsley and basil and serve with additional Parmesan cheese.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
- Leftover chicken sausage soup should be stored in a sealed container in the fridge. It will keep for up to 5 days.
- Reheat leftover soup in the microwave or on the stove top over medium heat.
- To freeze the soup, allow it to cool completely, then store in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat on the stove top over medium heat until hot clear through. Do not bring back to a boil, as this can make the cream curdle.
Variations
- Experiment with the veggies in this soup based on what you have on hand. Adding celery and carrot at the beginning is a great choice. Swap the zucchini for yellow squash. You can even swap kale for the spinach or omit the greens completely.
- For a vegetarian option, omit the chicken sausage and swap veggie broth for chicken broth.
- Try substituting the chicken sausage for leftover rotisserie chicken.
- If you’re looking for a soup without the extra dairy, try our Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup.
- Make it soupier! This is a thick soup, with lots of “stuff” and not a lot of broth. If you want it to be soupier, add an additional cup of chicken broth.
What to Serve with Chicken Sausage Soup
I recommend pairing this soup with crusty Italian bread and an easy garden salad or That Good Salad. I also recommend grating plenty of fresh Parmesan on top!
If you have picky kids, you might want to serve the soup deconstructed, with pieces of the tortellini and chicken sausage on their own. Our kids love deciding how much Parmesan goes on top or on the side as well.
More Soup Recipes to Try
Can’t get enough cauldrons of soup? We can’t either! Try these other favorites:
- Creamy Enchilada Soup
- Sweet Potato, Kale, and Sausage Soup
- Max and Erma’s Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Italian Sausage and White Bean Stew
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Creamy Ham and Potato Soup
Creamy Tomato Chicken Sausage Soup with Tortellini
Ingredients
- Olive oil (to coat)
- 1 small yellow onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 6 links chicken sausage (I used a garlic and mozzarella variety, sliced)
- 4 cups lower sodium chicken broth
- 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with their juices
- 14 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 large zucchini (sliced in half moons)
- 19 ounces frozen cheese tortellini
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves (sliced in ribbons)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Additional basil and Parmesan cheese (for serving)
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a large dutch oven with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until beginning to soften, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the sliced chicken sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and heated through.
- Stir in the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the zucchini and cook for 2 minutes, then add the frozen tortellini and cook for another 5 minutes, or until tortellini is tender and hot clear through.
- Lower the heat to low, and stir in the spinach until wilted. Stir in the cream, Parmesan cheese, basil, and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed. Serve warm with additional fresh basil and Parmesan cheese for topping, if desired.
Notes
- Choose a savory chicken sausage variety, like garlic mozzarella or Italian.
- This soup is also great without the chicken sausage. Substitute the chicken broth for veggie broth to make it vegetarian.
- You can also substitute the chicken sausage for Italian sausage or leftover rotisserie chicken.
- Leftovers keep well in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove top until hot but not boiling.
This is a lovely soup. I’ve made it for a casual “company’s coming” dinner a couple of times and it did not disappoint. I put tortellini in before the zucchini and use 1 can of fire roasted tomatoes for a more Smokey flavor. Delicious!
So glad you enjoy it! Thanks for coming back to let us know!
Hi!!I made this and we loved it!!! I just did a few substitutes that fit our wants. I did turkey sausage and browned it with the onions and garlic and then substituted zucchini for baby tomatoes! Even the dog jumped on the table to eat some of it LOL. He’s still in training. Thanks for sharing this recipe, it’s a good one we will continue to make at your house!
Thanks so much for the kind review! I’m so glad the whole family (and the dog!) enjoyed it! 🙂
this is one of my favorite recipes! i make it all the time and especially love how many veggies are included. thank you so much!!!
I’m so glad you like it! Thanks for coming back to let me know. It always makes my day!
nutritional value of this soup?
Made this tonight…delish!!!!!
So glad you like it. I usually use one of these to calculate nutrition: https://www.caloriecount.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php
My niece just gave me this recipe, she said it is wonderful. Her daughters don’t like soup, but this one is there fav. and ask for it all the time. I’m going to make it for a soup summit our church has in the fall. I’m hoping to win for the best tasting soup.
Hi Danette,
I’m so glad your niece and her family likes this so much! I hope you enjoy it as well, and best of luck with the soup summit!
We got our first real cold snap here a few days ago and I made this soup for me and my husband’s family. It was delicious and it’s become an instant addition to my arsenal.
I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
I’m so excited to try this and the other soups. It’s rainy and the nor’easter end hurricane Juaquin is pounding our jersey shore. My bones hurt and this is going to make hubby and I feel warm and cozy. Thank you Lindsay. I’m mamaswags02 on Instagram. I love following you. I’ve learned so much and my whole family is happier and healthier because of you.
Hi Faith-Anne! I meant to reply to this comment last week, but it got buried in the pile. Thank you so much for your kind words. They made my day! I hope you and your family enjoy these soups and they help warm you up this winter!
Welcome back, lady! You were definitely missed. This soup looks absolutely amazing. I’m adding it to my menu next week! Pinned.
Congratulations on the new baby. It must be lively in your house right now. And this soup is lovely. I’d make a giant pot of this soup too; I love creamy soups.