Butternut Squash Sausage Tortellini Soup (Print View)
Creamy butternut squash and sausage tortellini soup finished with a velvety sage cheese swirl. Comfort in every spoonful.
# What You 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 Steps:
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 thoroughly 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 approximately 5 minutes until the vegetables have softened. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add the cubed butternut squash, dried thyme, ground nutmeg, and half of the chopped fresh sage. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, allowing the seasonings to bloom and coat the vegetables evenly.
04 - Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 20 minutes until the squash is fork-tender.
05 - Use an immersion blender to partially or fully purée the soup base, depending on your preferred consistency. A full purée yields a silky, creamy texture, while a partial blend leaves pleasant chunks of vegetables.
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 fresh sage. Heat gently without boiling, then adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Remove from heat.
08 - In a small mixing bowl, combine the 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 leaves or cracked black pepper and serve immediately.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The sage cheese swirl makes this taste like something from a restaurant that charges eighteen dollars a bowl.
- It freezes beautifully, so you can make a double batch and pretend you cooked on a Tuesday in November.
- That combination of sweet squash and savory sausage hits every craving note at once.
02 -
- If you add the tortellini too early it will absorb broth and turn to mush, so wait until the very end.
- The cheese swirl can look lumpy if the cream cheese is cold, so give it plenty of time to soften.
- Partially blending the soup gives you the best of both worlds, creamy broth with tender chunks of squash throughout.
03 -
- Peeling butternut squash is easier if you microwave it whole for two minutes first, the skin loosens right up.
- Make the cheese swirl ahead of time and keep it in the fridge so dinner comes together faster on busy nights.