Kale, Sausage & Tortellini Soup

Kale, sausage and Tortellini Soup

Warm up your weeknight with this cozy Kale, Sausage & Tortellini soup!

Kale, Sausage & Tortellini Soup

There’s nothing better than a warm, hearty bowl of soup on a chilly night, and this Kale, Sausage and Tortellini Soup is the perfect fall or winter comfort food. Packed with tender tortellini, savory sausage, and nutrient-rich kale, this recipe is not only delicious but also an incredibly easy one pot meal. What’s more, it’s super versatile—swap the sausage for a plant-based option or a leaner turkey sausage, use spinach instead of kale, or experiment with your favorite tortellini flavors. I love the cheese tortellini linked here which can be found at your local grocery stores.

I don't love following recipes when I cook so this is a guideline for you. Get creative and experiment by adding in white beans, or even a different type of pasta. This soup is delicious with orzo as a substitute for tortellinis. You can also make a creamy tortellini soup by adding in some milk or heavy cream towards the end. Don't forget to add some heat at the end if you like spice, this soup is great topped with red pepper flakes or Tasbasco.

Soups are one of my favorite things to make in the winter because they’re simple, satisfying, and always bring a sense of warmth to the table. This is the perfect weekly recipe to add into your rotation for a  cozy weeknight dinner or impressing guests with minimal effort! I like to make a big batch during the beginning of the week and store it in an airtight container for easy lunchtime meals.

Ingredients for Kale Sausage Tortellini Soup

Yield - 8 servings (to reduce the amount, cut your ingredients in half)

Prep time: 20 min, Total time: ~35 min

  • 1 lb of ground mild Italian sausage (or a spicier version if you'd like!)

  • 1 small-medium yellow onion, diced

  • 3-4 celery stalks, diced

  • 3-4 carrots, peeled and diced

  • 3-4 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 tsp of garlic paste from a tube)

  • 1 tbsp of tomato paste

  • 1 tbsp of Italian seasoning

  • 6 cups of chicken broth or veggie broth

  • 14.5 ounce can of diced or whole tomatoes

  • Optional: 5-6 baby potatoes quartered

  • Kosher salt and pepper to taste

  • 1 bunch of kale

  • 1 lemon

  • 1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

  • ~5 oz of tortellini, I like this spinach version

  • Optional: for a creamy sausage tortellini soup, add in 1/2 cup to one full cup of heavy cream, or milk

  • Garnishes

    • Parmesan cheese

    • Lemon wedge

    • Parsley or cilantro

    • Red pepper flakes or hot sauce of your choice

Instructions for Kale, Sausage & Tortellini Soup:

  1. In a large stockpot, bring the pot to medium heat. Cook the sausage in the pot over medium heat, breaking it up until it's no longer pink. Use a slotted spoon and remove the sausage to a plate with a paper towel to help absorb excess oil.

  2. Without cleaning the stockpot, bring back to medium-high heat, add some additional EVOO if necessary. Saute the onions, celery and carrots for 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

  3. Add 1 tbsp of the tomato paste and mix well. Add in the Italian seasoning. 

  4. Add in your broth and canned tomatoes. If you are using potatoes, add them in now and bring the ingredients to a gentle boil. 

  5. Let the ingredients simmer for ~10 minutes, during this time do a taste test and adjust to your liking. 

  6. While simmering, prepare your kale. After you've washed, dried and roughly chopped the kale, add the EVOO and juice of 1/2 of a lemon. Gently massage. 

  7. Coming back to the soup, add the sausage back in. You can now add the tortellinis. They should only need to simmer about ~4-5 minutes to cook. 

  8. When you are ready to serve, add in the kale and do one final taste test. 

  9. Garnish with some additional lemon juice, parsley, freshly grated parmesan cheese and hot sauce!

Tips and Tricks: 

  • Get creative with your protein choice. This would be great as a chicken tortellini soup, with ground turkey or a plant-based protein. 

  • If you don't love kale, you can add in baby spinach or even swiss chard!

  • In general, I like to massage kale with evoo and lemon juice. It helps create a nicer texture and will be easier to digest. 

  • The tortellini soup recipe is so versatile, experiment with different pastas like orzo or elbow pasta if you don't love tortellinis or are dairy intolerant. 

 
Dinner, Meat, Soup, American FoodKelsey KiyotaHelloKelC Cookskale soup, sausage, tortellini soup, kale sausage tortellini soup, soup recipes, tortellini, soup recipeComment