Butternut Squash Sausage Tortellini Soup (Printable)
Creamy butternut squash soup with Italian sausage, cheese tortellini, and a sage cream swirl. Pure comfort in a bowl.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 lbs), peeled and cubed
02 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
05 - 2 stalks celery, sliced
→ Meats
06 - 14 oz Italian sausage (mild or spicy), casings removed
→ Pasta
07 - 10 oz cheese tortellini (fresh or refrigerated)
→ Liquids
08 - 6 cups chicken broth
09 - 2/3 cup heavy cream
→ Herbs, Spices & Oils
10 - 2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped (divided)
11 - 1 tsp dried thyme
12 - 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
13 - Salt and pepper, to taste
14 - 2 tbsp olive oil
→ Sage Cheese Swirl
15 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
16 - 2 oz ricotta cheese
17 - 2 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
18 - 1 tbsp milk
19 - Pinch of salt and pepper
# How to Prepare:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, and cook until evenly browned. Transfer the sausage to a plate using a slotted spoon, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
02 - Add the diced onion, sliced carrots, and sliced celery to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in the cubed butternut squash, dried thyme, ground nutmeg, and half of the chopped sage. Season generously with salt and pepper. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes to coat the squash in the seasonings.
04 - Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 20 minutes until the butternut squash is fork-tender.
05 - Use an immersion blender to partially or fully purée the soup base for a creamy consistency. Leave some chunks intact for a heartier texture if desired.
06 - Return the browned sausage to the pot. Stir in the cheese tortellini and simmer uncovered for 6 to 8 minutes until the tortellini is cooked through and tender.
07 - Pour in the heavy cream and add the remaining chopped sage. Heat gently without boiling, then taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Remove from heat.
08 - In a small mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, ricotta cheese, finely chopped sage, milk, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
09 - Ladle the hot soup into serving bowls. Add a generous spoonful of the sage cheese swirl to each bowl and gently swirl it into the surface with a spoon or knife. Garnish with extra fresh sage or cracked black pepper and serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sage cheese swirl on top is the kind of trick that makes people think you spent all day, but it takes about two minutes to mix together.
- It walks the line between weeknight practical and dinner party impressive without breaking a sweat.
- Puréeing the squash base gives you creaminess without needing a pound of butter, which feels like a small victory.
02 -
- If you boil the soup after adding the cream, it can break and look curdled, so keep the heat gentle and patient at that stage.
- The tortellini will absorb broth as it sits, so if you are making this ahead, cook the tortellini separately and add them when reheating.
03 -
- Microwave the butternut squash for two minutes before peeling and the skin will come off with significantly less struggle and fewer near misses with your knife.
- Save a few spoonfuls of the starchy broth before adding the tortellini, and stir it back in at the end if the soup gets too thick.