Creamy Tortellini Soup Recipe • 5★

Updated September 8, 2025

Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Store-bought, cheese-filled tortellini are immersed in an extra creamy tomato broth alongside Italian sausage and Tuscan (lacinato) kale, creating a hearty and comforting soup that comes together in 30 minutes. Paprika and dried fennel seeds give the soup an unexpected flavor profile that enhances the sweet creamy tomato broth. Kale is added in the last few minutes of cooking, ensuring it keeps enough of its bite. Lemon juice finishes off the soup, bringing a hint of brightness at the very end. Endless subs and additions are welcome for this recipe, with kale easily replaced with spinach, Swiss chard or cabbage. The sausage can be left out for a vegetarian option and the heavy cream can be subbed with whole milk or non-dairy cream for a lighter broth. And of course, the tortellini can be replaced with ravioli, which are basically the same thing, but shaped differently.

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1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound loose sweet Italian sausage or sausage links, casings removed (optional)

1 medium white or yellow onion, diced

6 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon dried fennel seeds

Salt and black pepper

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 (28-ounce) can tomato purée

8 cups (64 ounces) vegetable or chicken stock

1 (9- to 10-ounce) package refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini

1 ¼ cup heavy cream

1 bunch Tuscan (lacinato) kale, leaves stripped and chopped

½ cup roughly chopped fresh basil

Grated Parmesan, for serving

Step 1If using the sausage, heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high (if not using sausage, heat the oil on medium, then proceed to Step 2.) Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon as you go, until it is browned, 5 to 9 minutes. Push the sausage to one side of the pot and spoon out any excess grease, leaving about 2 tablespoons behind.

If using the sausage, heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high (if not using sausage, heat the oil on medium, then proceed to Step 2.) Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon as you go, until it is browned, 5 to 9 minutes. Push the sausage to one side of the pot and spoon out any excess grease, leaving about 2 tablespoons behind.

Step 2If necessary, adjust heat to medium, then add onion, garlic, paprika, fennel, 1½ teaspoons each salt and black pepper, and a pinch of crushed red pepper, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, until the onion is just softened and everything is fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it darkens, 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust heat to high, stir in tomato purée and stock, cover the pot and bring to a gentle boil, then add the tortellini and cook until tender, 2 to 3 minutes (1 minute longer if frozen).

If necessary, adjust heat to medium, then add onion, garlic, paprika, fennel, 1½ teaspoons each salt and black pepper, and a pinch of crushed red pepper, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, until the onion is just softened and everything is fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it darkens, 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust heat to high, stir in tomato purée and stock, cover the pot and bring to a gentle boil, then add the tortellini and cook until tender, 2 to 3 minutes (1 minute longer if frozen).

Step 3Add the heavy cream, kale and basil, and cook, stirring, until warmed through and the kale and basil are just wilted, 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice. Stir to incorporate, then taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Add the heavy cream, kale and basil, and cook, stirring, until warmed through and the kale and basil are just wilted, 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice. Stir to incorporate, then taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Step 4Serve warm topped with plenty of grated Parmesan. Soup can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Serve warm topped with plenty of grated Parmesan. Soup can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

This soup slaps. Love every bowl and every flavor, especially the lemon for taste. Woof!

LOVE this soup! I doubled the kale and added cannellini beans. The depth of flavor is incredible for how quickly the whole thing comes together!

This was wonderful, but definitely do not use 8 cups of stock! I used 6, and that was still too much. Also, as someone suggested, I used more sausage and less kale (great minds lol). I think 4-5 cups of stock would make this just about perfect.

This is one of my all time favorite soups and recipes. I made it exact and found it perfect.

thinking about other possible swaps: diced tomatoes instead of tomato puree, swapping out herbs like oregano or rosemary or parsley, spinach or arugula or other leafy green instead of kale

This is an incredibly versatile and forgiving soup. I freestyled this with double sausage, tortellini, and kale, and added two cans of white beans, and it’s absolutely amazing. I’m convinced whatever you choose to do in terms of the sausage/noodle/vegetable ratio will be amazing. Flavorful, easy, hearty if you make it so, and definitely a new add to my dinner rotation.

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026148-creamy-tortellini-soup