Butternut Squash Sausage Tortellini Soup (Printable)
Comforting butternut squash soup with sausage, tortellini, and a creamy sage cheese swirl for cozy fall dinners.
# 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 and 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 Steps:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage with casings removed and cook, breaking it apart with a spoon, 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 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in 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 squash to lightly caramelize and absorb 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 squash is fork-tender.
05 - Use an immersion blender to purée part or all of the soup for a creamy, velvety base. Leave some chunks intact if you prefer a heartier, more rustic texture.
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 - Stir in the heavy cream and the remaining chopped fresh sage. Heat gently without boiling. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed. Remove from heat.
08 - In a mixing bowl, blend the softened cream cheese, ricotta cheese, finely chopped fresh sage, milk, and a pinch of salt and pepper until completely smooth and creamy.
09 - Ladle the hot soup into serving bowls. Add a generous spoonful of the sage cheese mixture to each bowl and swirl gently with a spoon or knife to create a marbled effect. Garnish with extra fresh sage leaves or cracked pepper and serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- That sage cheese swirl pooled on top of the bowl is the kind of trick that makes people think you spent all day cooking when you barely broke a sweat.
- It walks the line between weeknight doable and weekend impressive, which is exactly the sweet spot worth keeping in your back pocket.
- The butternut squash creates this velvety golden broth that tastes like autumn decided to show off.
02 -
- If you add the tortellini too early it will turn to mush and fall apart, so wait until the very end and keep an eye on it.
- Do not let the soup boil once the cream goes in, or it can break and look curdled instead of silky.
- The sage cheese swirl will be lumpy if your cream cheese is cold, so set it out while you cook or microwave it for fifteen seconds.
03 -
- Fully puréeing the soup base before adding the sausage and tortellini back gives you the creamiest, most luxurious texture imaginable.
- Toasting the sage leaves in a little butter for thirty seconds and using them as a garnish elevates the presentation from weeknight to dinner party.