Butternut Squash Sausage Tortellini Soup (Print version)
Creamy butternut squash soup with savory sausage, tender tortellini, and a rich sage cheese swirl topping.
# What goes in:
→ 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 black 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 whole milk
19 - Pinch of salt and black pepper
# Cooking steps:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, and cook until evenly 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 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 black pepper. 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 gentle simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 20 minutes, or until the butternut squash is fork-tender.
05 - Use an immersion blender to purée part or all of the soup until it reaches your desired consistency. For a chunkier texture, blend only half of the soup. For a silky, creamy base, purée the entire pot.
06 - Return the browned sausage to the pot. Stir in the cheese tortellini and simmer uncovered for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the tortellini is tender and cooked through.
07 - Pour in the heavy cream and add the remaining chopped sage. Stir gently and heat through without boiling. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper as needed. Remove from heat.
08 - In a small mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, ricotta cheese, finely chopped fresh sage, whole milk, and a pinch of salt and black 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 soup using a spoon or knife. Garnish with additional fresh sage leaves or cracked black pepper and serve immediately.
# Tips from flavorandfeast:
01 -
- The sage cheese swirl on top is genuinely restaurant worthy and takes about two minutes to throw together.
- It freezes beautifully, so you can make a double batch and pretend you worked hard on a random Wednesday night.
02 -
- If you add the tortellini too early it will blow out and turn mushy, so wait until the very end and watch it closely.
- Full fat cream cheese at room temperature blends much smoother than cold, so pull it out of the fridge before you start cooking.
03 -
- Save a few tablespoons of the sausage rendered fat before adding vegetables for an extra layer of flavor you cannot get any other way.
- Lightly fry whole sage leaves in butter until crisp and use them as a garnish on top of the cheese swirl for a stunning finish.