I have a confession to make: I’m in the midst of a weather identity crisis. I’m a girl who grew up with 4 distinct seasons, who craves that change every couple of months. Well, now I live in a land where if it’s not too hot to go outside, it’s too rainy to go outside; yeah, there are a few magical weeks in the “spring” and “fall” when the weather is fabulous and relatively mosquito-free. But there just aren’t those breathtaking weeks in the spring when all the trees are blooming. The colors don’t really change in the fall–it’s just like one day, all the leaves have fallen off the trees. It’s devastating.
Throw in the bipolar weather and all is not well in my world! This is the middle of October and it is hot. So…I’ve started cranking my air conditioner waaaaaay down low. Like “That Snuggie is looking good!” low. Like “Is she going through premature menopause?” low. Like “Let’s call child services because this girl is putting her 2-year-old in footie pajamas when it’s 90 degrees outside” low. But I have needs! This is soup season and it has been WAY too long since I’ve had soups simmering in my kitchen. I honestly don’t care anymore if my utility bill is ridiculous. I’ll tell you what’s ridiculous: any temperature over 83 degrees in October. There. I said it. Soup’s on, baby.
When I started my family/personal blog a few years ago, I occasionally posted my favorite recipes to share with my friends and family (yeah, look where that got me! 🙂 ). This was not only one of the first that I shared, but also one of my favorites. Ever. Of all-time. I got this recipe from my friend Jen and along with my friend Lisa’s breadsticks, it is pretty much the perfect meal. It’s my go-to meal to take to friends who are sick or sad. I make it for my family when we’re celebrating–I mean, really, there’s no bad time to make this soup and I’ve yet to find someone who doesn’t just about die with happiness when they eat it.
Ingredient Notes
- Italian Sausage – Italian sausage is usually found in links. To remove the casings, you can either use a sharp knife to cut all the way down the sausage and peel the casings off, or you can snip one end with a pair of kitchen shears and squeeze it out. Make sure to check your labels, as Italian sausage comes in sweet (which is mild) and hot (spicy) versions. I prefer sweet, but if you like heat, go for the spicy version.
- Apple Cider – Apple cider as in unfiltered apple juice, NOT apple cider vinegar. If you can’t find apple cider, apple juice will work.
- Cheese Tortellini – Fresh works well, but be sure to check the freezer section of your grocery store; if you can find it there, it will almost always be way cheaper than fresh tortellini. Also, Barilla makes a great dry cheese tortellini.
Instructions
- To get started, you’re going to need about 1/2 pound of sausage or 3 links of Italian sausage, an onion, and some garlic. Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and crumble the sausage into the preheated pot.
- If your sausage is pretty fatty, you’ll want to drain it when it’s about halfway cooked. Meanwhile, chop an onion and garlic and add to the sausage. Continue cooking until onions are translucent and your sausage is cooked. Your house will smell heavenly.
- Add a can of diced tomatoes, a small can of tomato sauce, some apple juice (don’t forget this or leave it out because you think it’s weird–you’ll be sad if you do!), water, and a quart of chicken broth. Also add in a cup of chopped carrots and a teaspoon each of oregano, and basil.
- Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. While that’s simmering, shred two medium zucchini, measure out two tablespoons of parsley, and round up 10 ounces of cheese tortellini. When the soup has simmered for 20 minutes, add the zucchini and parsley (NOT the tortellini). Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the tortellini and simmer for another 8-10 minutes or until the tortellini is tender.
- Serve with bread and freshly-grated Parmesan.
Serving Suggestions
Tortellini sausage soup is great with these Homemade Breadsticks. If you’d like to make these, start the dough first, then prepare the first “phase” of the soup while the dough is rising. While the soup is simmering, twist the breadsticks, let them rise, and they’ll be done baking about the same time the soup is done.
Other options for easy bread sides include homemade garlic bread using this Homemade Garlic Bread Seasoning, One-Hour Dinner Rolls, or this Easy No Knead Overnight Artisan Bread.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make this ahead of time? Of course! Allow the finished soup to cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat small portions in the microwave, or reheat the whole batch on the stovetop.
- Can I freeze this black bean soup? Yes! Soup in general makes a great freezer meal and this one is no different. For easy reheating, freeze individual soup pucks in silicone muffin trays or my favorite Souper Cubes, then store in a zip top bag in a freezer. Pull out as many as you need for a serving and heat in the microwave or on the stove top.
Did You Make This?
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Tortellini Sausage Soup
- Total Time: 55 minutes
Description
Hearty and satisfying, this is one of our all-time favorite soups!
Ingredients
- 3 links Italian sausage
- 4 cloves pressed garlic
- 1 onion, diced
- ½ cup water
- 1 quart chicken broth
- ½ cup apple cider (NOT apple cider vinegar)
- 1 16-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 medium zucchini, grated (great way to use your food processor if you have one
- 8–10 ounce package cheese tortellini (check the freezer section of your grocery store; if you can find it there, it will almost always be way cheaper than fresh tortellini. Also, Barilla makes a great dry cheese tortellini)
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley (yes, that’s two tablespoons)
- kosher salt and black pepper
Instructions
- If you’re using link sausage, remove the casings and crumble into a large soup pot. To remove the casings, you can use a sharp knife to cut a slit down one side of the sausage and then peel back the casing.
- Chop onion and add to pot with garlic and a drizzle of olive oil. Continue cooking until onions are translucent and your sausage is cooked.
- Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, cider, water, chicken broth, carrots, oregano, and basil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper. Cover and simmer for 1/2 hour. Add parsley and zucchini and simmer for another 15 minutes or so.
- Add the tortellini and cook until tender, taste and then add additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with bread and freshly-grated Parmesan.
Notes
- If you need to thin out leftovers, just add a little additional broth.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
Questions & Reviews
I see 2 T of dried parsley listed twice in the ingredients list. I assume that’s a mistake… I’m excited to try this for dinner this week!
Do you think you could use apple juice instead of cider or would that mess it up?
Go for it! 🙂
I tried going to the bread-stick recipe but it say link cannot be found…
Fixed it! Try the links now… 🙂
If you were going to freeze this, would you prepare it through the addition of the tortellini and then add those when reheating? Or does the finished product freeze ok? I want to make some to eat and save half for when my baby arrives!
You could do it either way. If you freeze it as soon as it’s done, the Tortellini won’t absorb too much extra liquid. 🙂
That’s without the cheese.
I just did a bunch of measuring and multiplying so I figured I’d share with you all. I found this makes 12 c soup. For each cup, there are 170 cals 9 g fat 6.5 G protein 15 g carbs. I didn’t count veggies just because a person shouldn’t be penalized for eating veggies.
Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe! I have made it many, many times now and it is definitely a family favorite. Because it is packed with veggies it’s my go-to meal to bring when someone is sick or there is a new baby in the family. I pretty much make it according to the recipe every time (although I use shredded carrots and I puree the diced tomatoes) and it’s always amazing.
This soup has become a staple in our house. I’ve served it for company too, and everyone loved it. It’s easy but incredibly delicious. I use your cook books almost daily, my family eats very well as a result. Thanks for sharing all your recipes!
This might sound weird but… my husband doesn’t like cheese. At all. I’m constantly finding gooey cheesy recipes and try to figure out if I can somehow still make it without the cheese. Do you think this recipe would still taste good with some other type of noodle and not the tortellini with cheese?
Well, I made this right after you posted it. I have been on clear liquids for medical tests this past week, and was looking for something tasty, but nutritious to make. I decided to make the Tortellini Sausage soup. My grown son was leaving for a concert, but asked me to please save him some soup–he remembered it from the first time. Oh, I had to look for somewhere to tell you just how wonderful this soup is. Two thumbs up…..again.
This soup was amazing! I am normally not a fan of Italian sausage but thought this was delicious. I used turkey sweet Italian sausage. Can’t wait for leftovers!
Made this last night for dinner, and it was AMAZING!!!!! I couldn’t wait for lunch today so I could have it again. Love it!
This was just great. It will be a regular fall/winter recipe at my house from now on. I don’t love zucchini past tender-crisp, so I used 6 cups pf chopped baby spinach the last minute instead. Next time I may use kale. Thanks for a great recipe.
I made this. (Doubled the recipe, I might add, to freeze for another night.). My husband asked where I got the take out from! ;). Needless to say it was super yummy! Very easy. I made it up early in the day and put it in the crockpot minus the zucchini and frozen tortellini. About an hour before serving I added it in. Very easy for our busy evening.
This soup was amazing! My kids loved it too and didn’t even complain about the vegetables. Of course, it was late and they were starving so that might have helped but once they tried it they were hooked! The breadsticks were late as I need help with time management but tried them the next day with the leftovers and they were fantastic also! Thanks very much ladies!
Btw… we call it “special soup”. 🙂
My family and I have been making this soup for a couple of years now. It has become our “go to” soup for get togethers, when we are sick, when we need to feel “healthy” again, and any other reason. We all always add a couple of handfuls of chopped spinach at the end to give it more veggies too. This makes enough to eat on for several meals and is healthy as well! Thanks for giving all of us a tradition that we will hopefully pass on to our children!
Can you substitute the sausage with any other kind of meat? We are not pork eaters, but this sounds really good! Suggestions?
I make a soup similar to this and put red bell peppers in it as well. It gives it an extra kick but not too much spice. I like that this one calls for zucchini and I think I’ll mesh the two. YUM!
MMMM, thanks for inspiring me every day to cook for my family. Love the ideas!
Mmmmm this sounds really yummy. For those that have made it does have to be the tortellini? Can I use just bowtie or shell pasta and still have it be really good. Asking since I have to make everything dairy free (and there is not a single Tortellini option at our grocery store that doesn’t include cheese).
I make a similar soup with tortellini and I think it would be just as good with another pasta without cheese. I would use bow-tie.
Thanks Angela!
I usually keep a small pack of apple juice boxes on hand just for this soup, because my family won’t usually go through a whole bottle of apple juice 🙂
Can you use apple juice instead of cider? Or can you buy apple cider in smaller than a gallon jug? I am not a fan of drinking it and don’t want to have to buy a ton of it.
Recipe calls for apple cider, but the instructions don’t mention it! When does it go in??? Thanks!
It just goes in with all the other liquids. The instructions called it “juice” so maybe that’s why you missed it. I changed it to say “cider” so hopefully that’s more clear. Enjoy the soup!
Thank you for the awesome recipe. I just reposted it making it 100% shelf stable. You guys are such an inspiration!
I just want to say thank you for this amazing recipe! I’ve made it numerous times for numerous people (especially great to give to someone who just had a baby) and EVERYONE loves it! Even my super picky 4 year old actually eats this! Thank you!
I just finished making this soup and loved it! I used the Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Crumbles to lighten it up even more.