Sausage and Spinach Tortellini Soup
This hearty and delicious tortellini soup is packed full of protein and vegetables, making a satisfying meal for the hungriest of tummies.
First recipe of 2023! Let’s go! It’s still very wintery here in Canada (and probably will be for another 3 months..) and you know what that means? SOUP SEASON!
This hearty tortellini soup is a great meal for large groups because you can super easily double or triple the recipe if you need. It’s also packed with protein (from sausage and cheese) and vegetables so it’s a great one-pot meal that’s covering all your major food groups! This recipe was created in the summer for our friends over at Eureka Camping. Now let’s get to the recipe!
Ingredients
cheese tortellini - I would recommend plain cheese (or 3 cheese) tortellini for this recipe. I find it goes the best with the other flavours included.
spicy Italian sausages - you can omit if you’re wanting a vegetarian soup or substitute for bacon bits, ground chicken, or pre-cooked garlic sausage.
vegetables - carrots, celery, onion, garlic - the foundations of many good soup bases. Add some spinach at the end for some extra nutrients and colour.
canned diced tomatoes - opt for the diced or crushed tomatoes instead of whole tomatoes (otherwise you may need to break apart the tomato chunks yourself)
chicken or vegetable stock
herbs and spices - basil, oregano, or an Italian herb blend
fresh parsley - optional but recommended because it adds a nice bright, fresh touch at the end.
Instructions
In a large pot, brown sausage meat over medium heat, then add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook until tender. Add garlic and cook another few minutes.
Add the herbs, canned tomatoes, and chicken stock and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, add the tortellini and spinach. Cook until pasta is tender then remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper.
Meal Prep and Storage
You can absolutely prep the base of this soup ahead of time and freeze for up to 3 months or refrigerate for 3-4 days. Simply follow steps 1-2 above (essentially making the vegetable and sausage soup base) and stop before adding the tortellini. If you add the tortellini and then store, you run the risk of having the pasta turn mushy when you reheat it.
Prepping the base ahead of your camping trip will save you approximately 20 minutes in the outdoors, and you just need to heat up the base and then add the tortellini and spinach.
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge or cooler for 3-4 days. Reheat until warm enough but be careful not to let the soup boil for too long when reheating otherwise you may find the pasta becomes overcooked and too soft.