winter tortellini soup
Food

Our Most Favorite Winter Tortellini Soup

Anyone a soup lover here? If so…I’ve got the best recipe to share with you today. A few years ago, we had friends come and visit from California. Some of our most favorite people on the planet. Full of life, joy, fun. While they were with us, she produced a recipe for this incredible winter tortellini soup. Comfort food. It’s sort of like that loaded potato soup recipe that is amazing. It has truly become one of our favorite winter soups.

Comfort food at its best.

A kind of “hit the spot and feed a lot” at the same time.

It feeds my therapy to chop and prepare and produce a bounty of the best soup ever. On days when I just want to feel productive in the kitchen and produce something that will hit the spot, this recipe is it.

It never fails to please.

So off I go. Gathering the ingredients. Getting my favorite Lodge Dutch oven out…

Chopping the vegetables.

Adding sausage, garlic and olive oil to the Dutch Oven and browning; then, adding the vegetables to soften.

Cooking the tortellini and putting it all together.

Winter Tortellini Soup

The best winter soup that offers comfort food at it's best!! Simply a winter favorite.
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 20 C. servings

Equipment

  • Large Dutch Oven
  • chopping board and knives
  • strainer

Ingredients
  

  • 2 T olive oil extra virgin
  • 1 1/2 C yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 C carrots, diced
  • 2 C celery, diced
  • 1 acorn or butternut squash, diced cooked, peeled, and diced
  • 5 Italian chicken sausages cut in half and sliced; you may substitute other Italian sausage. I remove casings.
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 t. salt
  • 1 t. pepper
  • 2 t. fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes may reduce to one can; can be w/wo garlic
  • 1 15 oz. can cannelloni beans, drained
  • 8 C chicken broth more, if desired
  • 1 bay leaf, optional
  • 1/2 C dry white wine, optional
  • 1 pkg. Trader Joe's Pesto Tortellini, cooked & drained may substitute by using 4 C cooked tortellini and 2 T. pesto
  • 8-10 baby spinach leaves optional; or chopped Kale would be great.
  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving
  • Bruschetta for serving

Instructions
 

  • Cook tortellini using package directions and drain. Set aside. (I use all but about 2 c. of the tortellini, so I remove that amount and store in the fridge for another use.) If using other fresh tortellini, I use about 4 C tortellini and add 2 T pesto, or more, if desired.
  • Cook squash (I cut in half and roast in the oven) and cut into bite sized pieces.
  • Chop vegetables- onions, carrots, celery and garlic.
  • Add sausage and garlic to olive oil in a stock pot that will fit all of the ingredients and saute' until sausage has browned.
  • Add onions, carrots, celery, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened.
  • Add tomatoes, beans, cooked squash, seasonings and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. If desired, add bay leaf, but remove before adding pasta.
  • Add white wine and tortellini and heat together. The soup should be quite thick; but, if too thick, add additional chicken broth.
  • Just before serving, add in baby spinach. Chopped kale would be an amazing addition if you prefer.
  • Serve in bowls with bruschetta and freshly grated parmesan cheese on top.

Notes

TIP: If you substitute Italian sausage and remove the casings, it may be easier to brown as ground beef instead of slicing.
For the Bruschetta:
I preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Slice a baguette at a 45 degree angle into 1″ slices. Brush both sides with olive oil and bake for 6 minutes or until lightly toasted. Take the slices out of the oven and rub the surface of each one with a cut clove of garlic. Divine!
This is a great recipe when there are lots of feet under my table to serve. And, I have been known to take containers to friends and family to help us enjoy.
 

I had never had the pesto tortellini in the winter tortellini soup before and I simply can’t do without having it on hand now. Although you can substitute; if you are close to a Trader Joe’s, by all means stock up!

The bruschetta is divine. So easy to make and always a crowd pleaser. Our family are BIG soup eaters, so when this recipe arrived in my kitchen to be enjoyed by all, it will never again be left off the menu when cold weather and feet are under my table.

Don’t forget to pin this recipe to use for later…or print it off to tuck into your recipes.

Perhaps one of the best parts of gaining this recipe was actually the time spent cooking with and gathering around the table with the providers of this recipe. They are amazing in every way.

Now with a new little guy who is so adorable, they will be incredible parents.

Our conversations now are mostly by phone or text, with busy lives to come up for air. But, can I tell you that always, they are family to us. Mama Leslie and Daddy G we have been dubbed. And my comment to them always before our conversation ends is…when will you be home? when will your feet be under my table? I can’t wait until traveling is easier. Life is less fearful and gathering and hugs and conversations in close proximity can occur. How about you? Are you ready for those things to return?

I hope that you will enjoy this recipe friends. For all of my soup loving friends, REJOICE! All will be right with the world when you taste this. And right now, that’s a TALL order!

(As an Amazon affiliate, I have linked my favorites for your shopping convenience. See my disclosure policy.)

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