This easy Creamy Vegetarian Tortellini Soup with Kale makes a cozy weeknight dinner. Made with plant based sausage, fresh veggies, and only a small splash of cream. 30 minutes to make. (Vegan option)
Brown sausage: Warm olive oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Crumble in the sausage and add onion. Saute, stirring occasionally, until sausage is golden brown and crispy, 10 to 12 minutes (see note 4).
Add veggies, seasoning: Add carrots, celery, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, until the veggies begin to soften, about 3 minutes.
Boil: Pour in tomatoes and vegetable stock. Stir to combine. Cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook until al dente, 2 to 4 minutes.
Finish: Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in kale and cream. Cook until the kale has softened and tortellini is tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Ladle into bowls and garnish with Parmesan, if using.
Notes
Sausages: Use your favorite plant based or regular sausage. We love using Beyond Meat Mild Italian sausages in this recipe.
Canned Tomatoes: Use whole peeled tomatoes with basil if you can (otherwise, without basil is fine). In a pinch, substitute with crushed or diced tomatoes.
Cream: We recommend whipping cream (30-36%), but you can substitute heavy cream or half-and-half cream if you prefer. We do not recommend substituting low-fat milk, as it curdles more easily. You can leave the cream out for a cream-less tortellini soup.
Technique tip: If the sausage is starting to stick to the pot, reduce the heat. We prefer to stir the plant based sausages infrequently, to allow the sides to brown—but of course, stir often enough so that it doesn't stick to the pot!
Vegan option: Use vegan tortellini and substitute a plain, unsweetened dairy-free creamer or barista-style non-dairy milk instead of the cream.
Storage tips: Transfer extra soup to a resealable container and refrigerate. We do not recommend freezing this soup once the tortellini is added. You could freeze this soup before adding the tortellini—then add the tortellini, kale, and cream when the soup is being reheated for serving.