Butternut Squash Sausage Tortellini Soup (Printable)
Hearty butternut squash and sausage tortellini soup with a creamy sage cheese swirl for an elegant finishing touch.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables and Aromatics
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 tablespoons olive oil
→ Meat
08 - 12 oz Italian sausage (mild or spicy), casings removed
→ Pasta
09 - 10 oz cheese tortellini (fresh or refrigerated)
→ Herbs and Seasonings
10 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
11 - 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
12 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
14 - 1/4 teaspoon 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 tablespoons 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 It:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage with casings removed and cook for 5-6 minutes, breaking it apart with a spoon until evenly browned. Transfer the sausage to a plate and set aside, leaving any drippings in the pot.
02 - Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until the vegetables are softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in the cubed butternut squash. Sprinkle with dried thyme, rosemary, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes if using. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat the squash evenly with the spices.
04 - Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 15-20 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, typically 5-7 minutes, until the tortellini are tender and floating.
07 - While the soup simmers, combine the heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, chopped fresh sage, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir gently for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is melted, smooth, and fragrant.
08 - Ladle the hot soup into serving bowls. Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of the sage cheese swirl over each bowl. Garnish with butter-fried sage leaves and freshly ground black pepper as desired. Serve immediately.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- That sage cheese swirl on top turns a simple weeknight soup into something you would happily pay for at a restaurant.
- The partial puree gives you the best of both worlds, silky and chunky in every bite.
- It reheats beautifully the next day, which means lunch is already handled.
02 -
- Do not skip the partial puree step, because it is what transforms this from a regular chunky soup into something velvety and special.
- Add the tortellini right before serving if you plan to have leftovers, otherwise the pasta absorbs too much broth and gets mushy overnight.
- Frying the garnish sage in butter takes about thirty seconds, so watch it like a hawk because it goes from crispy to burnt in a flash.
03 -
- Peel and cube the squash the night before to save yourself time and keep weeknight cooking stress free.
- The sage cheese swirl thickens as it sits, so if you make it ahead just warm it gently with a splash of cream to loosen it back up.