Butternut Squash Sausage Tortellini Soup (Printable Version)
Creamy butternut squash soup loaded with Italian sausage, cheese tortellini, and a sage-infused cream swirl.
# 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
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 Make It:
01 - In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage with casings removed and cook, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until evenly browned. Transfer sausage to a plate using a slotted spoon, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
02 - Add diced onion, sliced carrots, and sliced celery to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in the cubed butternut squash, dried thyme, ground nutmeg, and half of the chopped fresh 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. Reduce 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 for a creamy texture. Leave some chunks intact for a heartier consistency, or blend fully for a silky smooth base.
06 - Return the browned sausage to the pot. Stir in the cheese tortellini and simmer uncovered for 6 to 8 minutes until the tortellini are cooked through and tender.
07 - Pour in the heavy cream and add the remaining chopped fresh sage. Heat gently without boiling, then taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Remove from heat.
08 - In a small bowl, combine softened cream cheese, ricotta cheese, finely chopped fresh 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 Insights:
01 -
- The sage cheese swirl on top will make you close your eyes and rethink every soup you have ever made.
- It walks the line between weeknight dinner and something you would proudly serve at a dinner party without breaking a sweat.
02 -
- If you add the tortellini too early it will swell into mush so wait until the very end and keep an eye on it.
- The cheese swirl needs the cream cheese fully softened or you will get lumps that no amount of stirring can fix.
03 -
- Letting the sausage sit untouched in the hot pot for a full minute before breaking it up gives you those crispy golden bits that carry more flavor than any seasoning ever could.
- Partially blending the soup so some squash chunks remain gives you the best of both worlds because fully smooth can feel like baby food and fully chunky loses that velvety comfort factor.