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Creamy tortellini soup for one with browned Italian sausage, tender cheese tortellini, and fresh spinach in a rich broth. Everything simmers in one pot and it’s ready in 30 minutes.
Featured Comment
“I made this for dinner after work tonight! It is delicious!…”
– Chris
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Equipment: 2-quart saucepan
- Cook Method: Stovetop
- Servings: 1 serving
- Difficulty: Easy
- Flavor Profile: Savory and well seasoned, with tender cheese tortellini and a smooth, lightly creamy broth.
This single serving Tuscan style tortellini soup is hearty, fresh, and quick to make, with hardly any prep and just enough for one satisfying bowl.
Why You’ll Love This Single Serving Tortellini Soup Recipe
Most tortellini soup recipes make a big, family-size pot. This one makes a single bowl that eats like a full meal. Tortellini soup is a broth-based Italian soup built around cheese-filled pasta, made here as a single serving.
I brown the Italian sausage, then add the onions and let them soften. In go the garlic and thyme, filling the pot with a warm, herby aroma. The broth and one chopped tomato come next, and as everything simmers the tomato softens and the flavors deepen into a savory base. The cheese tortellini cook in the broth for a few minutes, until they’re tender and seasoned through. Last, I stir in the spinach and add the cream off the boil, so the broth turns smooth and rich.
It’s quick, easy to make, and I’m excited for you to try it.
If you like a good soup for one, try my single serving Italian wedding soup, single serving zuppa Toscana, or single serving lasagna soup next.
Ingredient Notes
You’ll need just a few everyday ingredients for this sausage tortellini soup. If you have any left over from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
Olive oil: Just enough to coat the pan and start the sausage browning. The sausage renders its own fat as it cooks, so you only need a little.
Italian sausage: This carries most of the flavor. Browning it first renders the fat and builds the savory base the soup cooks in. I use mild Italian sausage, but sweet or hot both work. Leftover sausage is good in a pizza bowl.
Onion, garlic, and thyme: These season the base. The onion softens and turns sweet, the garlic adds depth, and a little dried thyme brings an earthy, herby note that works with the sausage.
Chicken broth: Low-sodium chicken broth is the body of the soup and lets you control the salt. Regular broth works too; just leave out the added salt and season to taste at the end, since the sausage and Parmesan already add salt of their own. For a meat-free version, use vegetable broth and leave out the sausage. Leftover broth is good in lentil soup for one.
Tomato: One fresh Roma, chopped, adds a little brightness. It softens into the broth as it simmers.
Cheese tortellini: Refrigerated cheese tortellini cook in just a few minutes, so they’re what I reach for. Frozen or dried work too; just adjust the cooking time. Use extra tortellini in chicken tortellini soup for one or single serving tortellini en brodo.
Spinach: Fresh spinach wilts into the soup at the end for color and a mild green flavor. Arugula or kale work too. Leftover spinach is good in spinach manicotti for one.
Heavy cream: Just 2 tablespoons stirred in at the end makes the broth creamy and rich. Add it off the boil so it stays smooth. Whole milk or half-and-half are lighter options. Leftover cream is good in chicken Alfredo for one or a small mushroom casserole.
Recipe Variations
Here are a few easy ways to change up this small batch tortellini soup, whether you’re cooking meat-free, want it heartier, or like a little heat.
Vegetarian Tortellini Soup
Leave out the sausage and use vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth. To keep it filling, stir in ½ cup rinsed chickpeas or white beans.
Add Beans
For a heartier bowl, add ¼ cup rinsed canned white or kidney beans along with the broth.
Add More Vegetables
Stir in a handful of chopped zucchini or green beans with the broth, or add ¼ cup chopped carrot and celery with the onion for a classic soup base.
Make It Spicy
Use hot Italian sausage in place of mild, or add red pepper flakes with the garlic.
How To Make Tortellini Soup For One
These step-by-step photos show how to make this single serve tortellini soup. Scroll to the recipe card for the full ingredient amounts.
- Brown the sausage. Heat the olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat for about 30 seconds. Add the Italian sausage and cook, breaking it apart with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Cook the onion. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook for 1 minute more, until fragrant.
- Simmer the broth. Pour in the chicken broth and add the chopped tomato. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the tortellini. Stir in the cheese tortellini and simmer until tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in spinach and cream. Add the spinach and heavy cream. Simmer for 2 minutes, stirring now and then, until the spinach wilts.
- Serve. Ladle the soup into a bowl and top with grated Parmesan, if using.
Expert Tips
Don’t overcook the tortellini. Add them in the last few minutes and simmer just until tender, 3 to 5 minutes for refrigerated. Left too long in the broth, they turn soft and lose their shape.
Add the cream off the boil. Stir the heavy cream in after you lower the heat. A hard boil can cause it to separate, leaving flecks in the broth instead of a smooth, even texture.
Cook the tortellini separately if you want leftovers. The pasta soaks up the broth as it sits, so if you know you’ll have some for later, cook the tortellini on their own and add them to each bowl. Store the broth and tortellini separately.
Match the pot to the batch. A 2-quart saucepan is right for a single serving. If you double the recipe, move up to a 3.5 to 4-quart pot so there’s room to simmer.
Troubleshooting
If your one pot tortellini soup isn’t turning out quite right, here’s how to fix common issues.
Why is my tortellini soup too thick?
The tortellini soak up broth as they sit, so the soup thickens over time. Stir in a splash of chicken broth or a little cream to loosen it back to the consistency you want, adding a bit at a time until it’s right.
Why is my tortellini soup too salty?
Salt builds up from the sausage, the broth, and the Parmesan together. Add a splash of unsalted or low-sodium broth or water to dilute it, then taste before adding anything else. Using low-sodium broth and holding off on the added salt until the end prevents it.
Why did my tortellini turn mushy?
Tortellini go soft when they cook too long or sit in hot broth. Simmer them just until tender, 3 to 5 minutes, and serve the soup soon after. If you’re saving some for later, cook the tortellini separately and add them to each bowl so they hold their shape.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tortellini soup lasts up to 3 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. The tortellini keep absorbing broth as they sit, so the soup thickens over time. Stir in a splash of broth when you reheat to loosen it.
Yes. Frozen tortellini work well in this soup. Add them straight to the simmering broth and cook a couple of minutes longer than refrigerated, until tender.
Yes, but dried tortellini absorb more liquid as they cook, so add about ½ cup more broth and expect a slightly longer cooking time. Keep an eye on the consistency and add more broth if it gets too thick.
No. The tortellini cook right in the simmering broth in about 3 to 5 minutes for refrigerated. Cooking them in the soup lets them take on the flavor of the broth.
It’s best to freeze the soup without the tortellini, since the cooked pasta turns mushy once thawed. Freeze the broth and vegetables for up to 3 months, then add fresh tortellini when you reheat.
Yes. For the best texture, make the soup through the simmer step and refrigerate it without the tortellini. Cook the tortellini fresh when you reheat so they hold their shape.
Yes. Leave the cream out for a lighter soup, or stir in whole milk or half-and-half for a little richness without the heavy cream.
Double every ingredient and use a 3.5 to 4-quart pot. The cooking times stay about the same.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you make this easy tortellini soup, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a rating and a comment below, and take a look at my other single serving soups for more ideas.
Tortellini Soup For One
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 4 ounces Italian sausage
- ½ cup chopped onions
- 1 clove garlic – minced
- ⅛ teaspoon dried thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 medium Roma tomato – chopped
- 2 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini (about 3/4 cup)
- ½ cup fresh spinach – chopped
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- Optional: Parmesan cheese for topping
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage and cook, breaking it apart with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the onion and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Pour in the chicken broth and add the chopped tomato. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the tortellini and simmer until tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the spinach and heavy cream. Simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the spinach wilts.
- Ladle the soup into a bowl and top with grated Parmesan, if using.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Can frozen tortelinni be used instead of fresh as I always have some in the freezer.
Yes, frozen tortellini works beautifully.
Thank you!!
Made this soup yesterday…my husband said it was great…sure glad I made a double recipe. I used last of our roma tomatoes from our garden….also used spinach from garden. Added a few pieces of pablano peppers. This soup will be made again but will have use some of my frozen tomatoes. EXCELLENT RECIPE.
Thank you! I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
If using dried tortellini would I increase the liquid?
Yes, if you’re using dried tortellini instead of refrigerated or precooked tortellini, you’ll likely need to add more liquid. Dried tortellini absorb more liquid as they cook. I’d suggest increasing the broth by about 1/2 cup to start, and keep an eye on the consistency—add more if needed as the tortellini cook through and soften. The cooking time will also be a bit longer than with precooked tortellini, so adjust accordingly.
I made this for dinner after work tonight! It is delicious! I didn’t have thyme. So, I left it out.
I am so happy you enjoyed it.
So so good!
Excellent and quick!
Very good! I doubled the recipe to have servings for camping. Used turkey sausage and added some diced carrots and green beans that cooked with the tortellini (dry type). Used 1/2 cup diced canned tomatoes instead of Roma tomato. Another fabulous recipe from Joanie!
Will make this again for sure !
Cathie
Delicious! Made it for lunch and had a slice of pastrami & turkey alongside. Didn’t have a baguette. So used slider hamburger buns toasted plus substituted red wine vinegar. Will make again.
I wish I could afford your cook book