Butternut Squash Sausage Tortellini Soup (Printable Version)
Hearty butternut squash soup with savory sausage, tender tortellini, and a rich sage cheese swirl.
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables and Broth
01 - 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 lbs), peeled and cubed
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
07 - 2 tbsp olive oil
→ Meats
08 - 12 oz Italian sausage (mild or spicy), casings removed
→ Pasta
09 - 10 oz cheese tortellini (fresh or refrigerated)
→ Herbs and Spices
10 - 1/2 tsp dried thyme
11 - 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
12 - 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
13 - 1/2 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
14 - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
→ Sage Cheese Swirl
15 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
16 - 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
17 - 1/4 cup fresh ricotta cheese
18 - 2 tbsp fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
19 - Pinch of salt and pepper
→ Garnish
20 - Fresh sage leaves, fried in butter
21 - Freshly ground black pepper
# How To Make:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage with casings removed and cook, breaking it into crumbles, for 5 to 6 minutes until evenly browned. Transfer the sausage to a plate and set aside, leaving any rendered drippings in the pot.
02 - Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until the vegetables are softened. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in the cubed butternut squash. Sprinkle with dried thyme, dried rosemary, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes if using. Cook together for 2 minutes, allowing the seasonings to bloom and coat the vegetables.
04 - Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the butternut squash is fork-tender.
05 - Use an immersion blender to partially puree the soup directly in the pot, leaving about half of the vegetables chunky for texture. Alternatively, transfer half the soup to a blender, puree until smooth, and return it to the pot.
06 - Return the browned sausage to the pot and bring the soup back to a gentle simmer. Add the cheese tortellini and cook according to package instructions, usually 5 to 7 minutes, until the tortellini are tender and floating.
07 - While the soup simmers, combine the heavy cream, shredded Parmesan, ricotta cheese, chopped fresh sage, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir gently for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheeses are melted and the mixture is smooth and fragrant.
08 - Ladle the hot soup into bowls and drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons of the sage cheese swirl over each serving. Garnish with fried sage leaves and freshly ground black pepper if desired. Serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The partial puree trick gives you a restaurant quality silky base without losing all the satisfying chunks of squash and sausage.
- That sage cheese swirl on top will make people think you spent all day when it takes barely three minutes.
02 -
- Do not skip the partial puree step, it is the entire reason this soup feels luxurious instead of watery.
- Add the tortellini at the very end and serve promptly because they soak up broth and turn mushy if left sitting.
03 -
- Browning the sausage well before anything else goes in the pot creates a fond at the bottom that flavors the entire soup from the ground up.
- Warm the cream slightly before adding the cheeses to the swirl, cold cream makes the Parmesan seize and turn gritty instead of smooth.