Description
This creamy sausage tortellini soup is a comforting and flavorful meal featuring spicy Italian sausage, tender sweet potatoes, cheesy tortellini, and fresh spinach simmered in a rich broth finished with heavy cream and fresh thyme.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Seasoning
- 12 oz spicy Italian sausage
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika (regular or smoked)
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt to taste (about ¼ teaspoon or less)
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 oz fresh spinach
- 4 tablespoons fresh thyme
Liquids and Others
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 6 cups water
- 8 oz refrigerated three-cheese tortellini (Buitoni brand recommended)
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Cook the Sausage: Heat olive oil in a large, high-sided pot over medium heat. Add crumbled spicy Italian sausage and cook, stirring frequently, until the sausage is cooked through and browned, about 5-7 minutes. Drain excess grease from the pot.
- Season the Sausage: Sprinkle Italian seasoning and paprika over the cooked sausage and stir to combine evenly.
- Add Vegetables and Tomato Paste: Add the peeled and cubed sweet potato, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste to the pot. Stir well to blend the flavors.
- Add Liquid and Simmer: Pour in 6 cups of water and stir to dissolve the tomato paste completely. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Cook the Sweet Potatoes: Once boiling, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover the pot with a lid, and cook the soup for 15 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
- Cook Tortellini: Add the refrigerated three-cheese tortellini to the pot. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, or according to the package instructions for the tortellini, until they are tender and cooked through.
- Add Spinach and Finish Soup: Stir in the fresh spinach and cook just until it wilts slightly, about 1-2 minutes. Remove the soup from heat.
- Add Cream and Season: Stir in the heavy cream until fully incorporated. Taste and season with salt and additional red pepper flakes if desired for extra spice. Garnish with fresh thyme before serving.
Notes
- The cream may separate or appear grainy when the soup cools or is refrigerated. Reheat gently on the stovetop or microwave and stir well to restore the creamy texture.
- If your sausage is very salty, omit or reduce any additional added salt to avoid oversalting the soup.
- You can substitute chicken broth for water if you want a richer broth, but it’s not necessary as the sausage adds significant flavor.
- For a milder soup, use mild Italian sausage and reduce or omit the red pepper flakes.
- Use fresh thyme leaves stripped from the stem for the best flavor rather than dried thyme.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
