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A rich and comforting creamy tomato broth soup with sausage, sautéed vegetables, cheesy tortellini, and fresh spinach. Perfect for chilly nights and serving with crusty bread for dunking.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb. ground mild Italian sausage
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon kosher sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed or chopped
  • 6 oz. tomato paste (one small can)
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine (or extra broth)
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 6–7 cups chicken broth
  • 14 oz. refrigerated cheese tortellini (or frozen)
  • 2 cups half-and-half or heavy cream
  • 1 handful chopped fresh spinach
  • Parmesan and fresh parsley for serving

Instructions

  1. Heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat; add Italian sausage, break up, and cook until mostly browned and crumbly.
  2. Add diced onion, celery, and carrots; sauté about 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
  3. Stir in minced garlic, kosher salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, crushed fennel seed, and tomato paste; cook 3–5 minutes, stirring to prevent the paste from burning.
  4. Pour in the white wine and reduce for a couple minutes; sprinkle in the flour (or whisk the flour with a splash of broth first to prevent lumps) and cook 1 minute.
  5. Slowly add the chicken broth while stirring to smooth out any lumps; bring to a gentle simmer, then lower the heat and simmer about 15 minutes to meld flavors.
  6. Optionally add a Parmesan rind during the simmer for extra richness, then remove the rind before adding the cream.
  7. Stir in the half-and-half or heavy cream and warm through over low heat without boiling.
  8. Add the cheese tortellini and chopped spinach; cook until the tortellini are tender (follow package directions; frozen may need a bit more time).
  9. Taste the soup and adjust seasonings as needed.

Notes

Do not let the tomato paste burn; cook it until fragrant and slightly darkened, stirring constantly., Crush fennel seeds to unlock their flavor which complements the sausage., To avoid flour lumps, whisk flour with a splash of broth before adding or sprinkle it evenly and stir quickly., Cook tortellini until just al dente; they soften further in leftovers., Simmer with Parmesan rind for extra flavor, remove before adding cream., For reheating, warm slowly on low heat, adding broth or cream if soup thickens., Use low-sodium broth and taste before adding extra salt for a lower sodium option., Vegetarian variations: omit sausage, add cannellini beans or mushrooms., Sausage substitutions: use spicy Italian sausage or turkey/chicken sausage for lighter options., Greens substitutions: kale or Swiss chard can be used instead of spinach., Dairy-free options: replace cream with coconut cream or plant-based creamers; skip or substitute Parmesan., Extras such as sun-dried tomatoes, frozen peas, or mushrooms can be added for more flavor and texture., Store soup base and tortellini separately to keep pasta firm in leftovers., Freeze only soup base (no tortellini) up to 3 months; add freshly cooked tortellini when serving.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://gingerbaking.com/angs-creamy-tortellini-soup/