Easy Italian Soup With Tortellini
This Italian Tortellini Soup features savory sausage, fresh vegetables, and tender tortellini in a rich tomato-based broth for a hearty and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage casings removed
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 5 cups beef broth
- 4 Large tomatoes peeled, seeded, and chopped
- 1 can Tomato sauce (8 oz)
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup red wine (optional)
- ½ tbsp packed fresh basil leaves
- ½ tsp oregano dried
- 1 ½ cups zucchini sliced
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 8 ounces fresh tortellini pasta
Instructions
Cook the Sausage
- In a 5-quart Dutch oven, cook the Italian sausage over medium-high heat until it’s browned and crumbly, about 8-10 minutes.Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain the excess grease from the pot, but leave 1 tablespoon of drippings.
Sauté Onions and Garlic
- In the same pot with the remaining drippings, sauté the chopped onions and minced garlic over medium heat until the onions are translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
Combine Ingredients
- Stir in the beef broth, chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, sliced carrots, water, red wine (if using), fresh basil, dried oregano, and the cooked sausage.Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
Add Zucchini and Parsley
- Skim any fat from the surface of the soup.Stir in the sliced zucchini and chopped parsley.Cover and simmer for another 30 minutes.
Add Tortellini
- During the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the fresh tortellini pasta to the pot.Stir occasionally and cook until the tortellini is tender.
Serve
- Serve the soup hot and enjoy!
Notes
This easy Italian soup is super flexible, so feel free to swap the tortellini for gnocchi or a short pasta like ditalini if that's what you have on hand. If you want to bulk it up, toss in some chopped zucchini, spinach, or cannellini beans — it all works beautifully and makes it even heartier. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days, though the tortellini will absorb some of the broth as it sits, so add a splash of chicken broth when reheating. I wouldn't recommend freezing this one with the tortellini already in it — instead, freeze the soup base and cook fresh tortellini when you're ready to serve.