This quick and flavorful Instant Pot Tortellini Soup, ready in just 25 minutes, combines cheesy tortellini with savory chicken sausage for a comforting, hearty dish. It's the perfect go-to soup for a chilly day! You'll brown the sausage right in the pot, pressure cook a simple tomato broth for 5 minutes, and then stir in the tortellini, spinach, and a splash of cream at the end. With its creamy texture and mild spice, it's a family-friendly meal that's both satisfying and easy to make. During the cooler months, this recipe will become a staple in your rotation, and it's ideal for busy weeknights.
Cozy Cheesy Comfort
Soup season is my favorite time of year in the kitchen, and I love pasta, so a big pot of soup with pasta in it is pure comfort to me. It's something I grew up on, and it still feels like home every time I make it. Adding tortellini takes that comfort up a notch, because every spoonful comes with a little burst of cheesy goodness.
That's why I now pressure cook only the sausage, tomatoes, and broth. Those 5 minutes are all it takes to build a deep, savory base that tastes like it simmered all afternoon. Then the tortellini goes in on the sauté setting for just 2 minutes, so you can watch it and see exactly when it's done. You're looking for plump, tender pasta with a little bite in the center that still holds its shape.
I use both fresh and frozen tortellini in my kitchen, just for different things. Fresh is my pick for my Antipasto Tortellini Pasta Salad, where the tender texture really shines. For this soup, though, I reach for frozen, because it's so easy to keep a bag on hand and throw this together on a busy night. There's no need to thaw it first. Just give it 3-4 minutes instead of 2, since it cools the soup down when it goes in, and taste one before you turn off the pot. Fresh tortellini works too and only needs the full 2 minutes. Then I stir in the spinach and cream with the heat off. The spinach wilts in about a minute, and the cream stays silky instead of breaking into the tomato broth.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- Sausage. Italian sausage with the casing removed is key for this flavorful soup. It seasons the whole pot as it browns. Just like in Italian sausage pasta, you could opt for a mild, sweet, or spicy Italian sausage. You can also substitute another protein such as ground turkey or ground beef. If you do, add an extra ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning and a pinch of fennel seed, since plain ground meat doesn't have the built-in seasoning that sausage does.
- Diced tomatoes. I used a can of diced tomatoes with juices, but if needed, you could substitute a can of crushed tomatoes. Crushed tomatoes make the broth thicker and more tomato-forward, and they're more likely to stick to the bottom, so be extra careful to layer them on top.
- Chicken broth. Chicken broth is my go-to broth to use here as I find it more flavorful than vegetable broth, but it will work too! I recommend low-sodium, since the sausage and tortellini both add salt. You can always add more at the end, but you can't take it out.
- Cheese tortellini. Fresh or frozen tortellini. If you choose to substitute dried tortellini, it must be cooked in a separate pot before adding it to the soup. Cheese ravioli works the same way as fresh tortellini.
- Baby spinach. This adds color and freshness without any chopping. Chopped kale works too, but it's sturdier, so let it simmer and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes before adding the cream.
- Milk. Full-fat canned coconut milk or heavy cream will work here. Feel free to use what you prefer. Heavy cream gives a classic, rich flavor. Coconut milk keeps it dairy-free in the broth, and you can't really taste the coconut once it's mixed with the tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Avoid regular milk, since it can curdle in the acidic tomato broth.
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
Cook the sausage
Set the Instant Pot to the sauté function on high. Add the oil then the onions and sausage. Break the sausage into crumbles and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
Pressure cook
Turn off the pot and stir in the Italian seasoning, diced tomatoes and broth. Scrape browned bits off of the bottom of the pot. Pressure cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients
Release the pressure, remove the lid and set it to the sauté function. Add in the tortellini and cook for 2 minutes then stir in the spinach and milk and allow the spinach to wilt. Serve and enjoy!
Stovetop Tortellini Soup
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sausage, breaking up the sausage while it browns, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add the spices, diced tomatoes, and broth. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover the pot and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the tortellini and cook for another 5-7 minutes, until the tortellini is tender. Turn off the heat and stir in the spinach and milk until the spinach wilts.
Sarah's Top Tips
- Double check you have scraped any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. If any browned sausage or garlic has stuck to the bottom of the pot and is not scraped up before pressure cooking, your soup may not come to pressure and will trigger a burn warning. Always check to make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom before securing the lid and beginning the cooking cycle.
- Don't overcook the tortellini. Just like any pasta, overcooking tortellini will cause it to become incredibly soft and deteriorate.
- Keep the tomatoes on top if you're nervous about the burn warning. Thick tomato juice sitting right on the bottom of the pot is one of the most common causes of the burn notice. Pour the broth in first and scrape, then add the tomatoes on top without stirring them all the way down. They'll mix in on their own once the soup comes to pressure.
Serving
This Instant Pot Tortellini Soup is quite filling and can be served on its own as a standalone meal with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. I like to add a pinch of red pepper flakes and serve it with crusty bread for dipping into the creamy broth.
If you are looking for a few simple sides to pair alongside it, try arugula and parmesan salad or roasted broccoli. The salad's peppery greens and lemony dressing cut through the richness of the soup, and it takes just 5 minutes while the pot comes to pressure. The roasted broccoli adds a crisp, savory vegetable, and it roasts hands-off while the soup cooks. For a heartier spread on a weekend, my Panzanella Toscana brings bread and salad together in one bowl and matches the Italian flavors in the soup.
Storage & Reheating
Fridge: This sausage tortellini soup will last for up to 4 days. For best results, I recommend storing leftovers in glass over plastic and allowing the soup to cool to room temperature before storing. The tortellini will keep soaking up broth as it sits, so the soup will be thicker the next day.
Freezer: For the best texture, freeze the soup before adding the tortellini, spinach, and cream. Let the tomato and sausage base cool, then freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, bring it back to a simmer, and add the tortellini, spinach, and cream fresh. You can freeze the finished soup, but the tortellini will be much softer after thawing, and the cream may separate a little.
Reheating: Warm leftovers on the stovetop over medium-low heat, or microwave in 1-minute bursts, stirring in between. Add a splash of broth to loosen it up, since the tortellini will have absorbed some of the liquid. If the cream separated in the freezer, a good stir while it warms brings it back together.
Make Ahead: Cook the soup through the pressure cooking step up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate the base. When you're ready to eat, reheat it on the sauté setting or stovetop and finish with the tortellini, spinach, and cream. It tastes freshly made in about 5 minutes.
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Instant Pot Tortellini Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound Italian chicken sausage, casing removed
- 1 (15 ounce) can of diced tomatoes
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 10 ounces fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
- 1 (5 ounce) package baby spinach
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup coconut milk or heavy cream
Instructions
- Begin by heating the oil in the Instant Pot using the sauté function on high.
- Add the diced onion and chicken sausage and brown while crumbling for about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Turn off the Instant Pot.
- Next, add in the spices, diced tomatoes and chicken broth. Stir everything together and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pot, if needed.
- Close the lid, set the valve to seal and pressure cook on high for 5 minutes.
- Quick release the pressure, turn on the sauté function again, add the tortellini and cook for 2 minutes while simmering.
- Turn the power off, add the spinach and milk and stir to combine until the spinach wilts.
- Serve with Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes and bread.
Sarah's Tips
- Before sealing the lid, scrape every browned bit off the bottom of the pot to avoid a burn warning.
- Pour in the broth first, then add the tomatoes on top and don't stir them all the way down, since thick tomato juice on the bottom can trigger the burn notice.
- Frozen tortellini goes in straight from the freezer, but give it 3-4 minutes instead of 2.
- Taste one tortellini before turning off the pot. It should be tender with a little bite in the center, since overcooked tortellini turns soft and falls apart.
- Use low-sodium broth and add salt only at the end, because the sausage and tortellini are already salty.
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 4 days in glass containers.
- For the best texture, freeze the soup base before adding the tortellini, spinach, and cream. It keeps for up to 3 months.
- When reheating, add a splash of broth to loosen the soup, since the tortellini soaks up liquid.
Tools I Use for This Recipe
- Cutting board
- Garlic press
Kathy says
I made this last night, and we loved it. I couldn’t find the chicken sausage in our grocery store, so I wound up substituting regular mild Italian sausage. I bought frozen tortellini, cooked it and kept it separate. I should have spooned out some of the grease after browning, I can probably scrape it off the top now that it’s been in the fridge, but it didn’t taste greasy so it really wasn’t a probably. I shared the recipe with a friend and will make this again. Delicious!
Sarah Holt says
Hi Kathy, really happy you enjoyed the soup! I will add a note about removing some grease after browning the sausage in case people want to do this. Thanks for sharing the recipe with a friend 🙂