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    Home » Recipes » Instant Pot

    Instant Pot Tortellini Soup with Sausage

    Published: Jan 30, 2022 · Modified: Feb 4, 2022 by Kelsey Smith

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    This Instant Pot tortellini soup with sausage and spinach is a classic creamy soup that only takes 30 minutes to make.

    This is the perfect fall or winter soup recipe when you don't want to spend much time prepping in the kitchen. No carrots to peel and no celery to chop, just an onion and some garlic. For an even faster meal, use pre-minced garlic.

    Making this in an electric pressure cooker brings out all of the amazing flavors from the Italian sausage. Use mild, sweet, or hot Italian sausage.

    Serve this alongside a simple spinach salad and homemade garlic bread. For more easy Instant Pot recipes, try taco pasta or cheeseburger macaroni.

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Instant Pot Tortellini Soup with tortellini, Italian sausage, and wilted baby spinach in a bowl garnished with shredded parmesan.
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions
    • Adjust the heat level
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Food safety
    • 💬 Comments

    Ingredients

    Instant Pot Tortellini Soup ingredients: chicken broth, Italian sausage, cheese tortellini, diced yellow onion, minced garlic, olive oil, fresh baby spinach, diced tomatoes, ground black pepper, crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning, and heavy whipping cream.
    Tortellini soup ingredients
    • olive oil
    • ground mild Italian sausage
    • yellow onion
    • minced garlic
    • chicken broth
    • refrigerated cheese tortellini
    • diced tomatoes
    • Italian seasoning
    • ground black pepper
    • crushed red pepper flakes
    • fresh baby spinach
    • heavy whipping cream
    • shredded parmesan cheese, optional

    See the recipe card for quantities.

    No added salt: You may notice this recipe does not call for salt. Italian sausage can be quite salty, and in the pressure cooker, the flavors come together nicely, so added salt may be unnecessary. Once the heavy cream is added, give the soup a taste before adding any additional seasoning.

    Instructions

    Using the Instant Pot’s Sauté setting, heat the olive oil. Brown the Italian sausage and cook the onion together in the pot, breaking the meat up into small crumbles. When the sausage is cooked, add the garlic and sauté for an additional minute. Drain excess fat if desired.

    Browned Italian sausage with cooked diced onion and minced garlic in the Instant Pot.
    Brown the Italian sausage and cook the onion together.

    Add a splash of chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the Instant Pot to deglaze if needed, scraping the bottom of the pot with a flat spatula. This helps to prevent a burn error.

    Then, add the remaining broth, the tortellini, diced tomatoes (do not drain), Italian seasoning, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Do not stir, but gently press the tortellini to submerge it.

    Tortellini, diced tomatoes, and seasoning submerged in chicken broth in the Instant Pot.
    Don't forget to deglaze the pot if needed.

    Cancel the Sauté, close the lid, and turn the knob to Sealing. Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook on High for 2 minutes. It will take the pot about 10-15 minutes to come to pressure before the cooking time begins.


    When the cooking time is complete, carefully quick release the pressure. If the steam release valve spits liquid, close the valve and wait 3-5 minutes before finishing the quick release.

    Instant Pot after quick release. The tortellini has floated to the top of the soup and is fully cooked.
    When you open the lid, you will see that tortellini has floated to the top.

    Note: Usually with soups or liquidy meals, a natural release of pressure is best to prevent liquid spewing from the pressure valve, but this recipe is designed for a quick release.

    After the pressure is released, remove the lid and stir in the baby spinach.

    Cooked tortellini soup with wilted fresh baby spinach in Instant Pot.
    The heat will wilt the fresh baby spinach in just a couple of minutes.

    Allow the spinach to wilt (about 1-2 minutes) before stirring in the heavy cream.

    Pouring heavy whipping cream from a measuring cup into the Instant Pot.
    Stit in the heavy cream before serving.
    Instant Pot Tortellini Soup with tortellini, Italian sausage, and wilted baby spinach in a ladle above the Instant Pot.
    Ready to serve.

    Serve with shredded parmesan or grated parmesan (optional).

    Instant Pot Tortellini Soup with tortellini, Italian sausage, and wilted baby spinach in a bowl garnished with shredded parmesan.
    Garnish with shredded parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, or sliced green onions.

    Substitutions

    Here are a few tips to customize this soup based on your preferences.

    • Less fat - Skip the heavy whipping cream. This soup is great even without the dairy! Additionally, you can drain the excess fat from the Italian sausage before pressure cooking.
    • More veggies - For a vegetable-forward soup, I recommend adding carrot, celery, and zucchini.
    • Greens - This recipe is great with baby spinach or shredded kale.
    • Broth - Use chicken broth or vegetable broth
    • Vegetarian - To make this recipe vegetarian, replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth and omit the Italian sausage. If you leave out the sausage, add a half teaspoon of salt.

    Adjust the heat level

    Another great thing about this cozy, warm soup is you can easily customize the heat level to your liking.

    • Mild - Use mild or sweet Italian sausage, omit crushed red pepper flakes.
    • Medium - Follow the recipe as listed.
    • Hot - Use hot Italian sausage.
    Instant Pot Tortellini Soup with tortellini, Italian sausage, and wilted baby spinach in a bowl garnished with shredded parmesan.

    Equipment

    For this recipe, you will need an electric pressure cooker. I use the Instant Pot Duo 6-Quart. Be sure to read the user manual for safe use.

    You will also need a chef's knife for dicing the onion and mincing the garlic, as well as a cutting board.

    Storage

    Store leftover sausage tortellini soup in the refrigerator for three days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.

    The pasta may become soggy if the creamy tortellini soup is frozen. Additionally, dairy-based soups may separate. I recommend enjoying this recipe fresh.

    One option is to make the soup without the tortellini, freeze it, and then add fresh tortellini, baby spinach, and heavy cream when ready to defrost and serve.

    📖 Recipe

    Instant Pot Tortellini Soup with tortellini, Italian sausage, and wilted baby spinach in a bowl garnished with shredded parmesan.

    Instant Pot Tortellini Soup

    This Instant Pot tortellini soup with sausage and spinach is a classic creamy soup that only takes 30 minutes to make.
    Print Pin Email Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 2 minutes
    Pressurizing Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 27 minutes
    Calories: 519kcal
    Author: Kelsey Smith
    Cost: $16
    Servings: 6

    Equipment

    • Pressure cooker
    • Chef's knife
    • Cutting board
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 pound ground mild Italian sausage or Italian sausage with casings removed
    • 1 medium yellow onion chopped
    • 6 garlic cloves minced
    • 4 cups chicken broth
    • 1 package (9-10 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini
    • 1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes
    • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
    • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
    • 2 cups fresh baby spinach packed
    • ½ cup heavy whipping cream
    • Shredded parmesan cheese optional

    Instructions

    • Using the Instant Pot’s Sauté setting, heat the olive oil. Brown the Italian sausage and cook the onion together in the pot, breaking the meat up into small crumbles. When the sausage is cooked, add the garlic and sauté for an additional minute.
    • Add a splash of chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the Instant Pot to deglaze if needed, scraping the bottom of the pot with a flat spatula. This helps to prevent a burn error. Then, add the remaining broth, the tortellini, diced tomatoes (do not drain), Italian seasoning, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Do not stir, but gently press the tortellini to submerge it.
    • Cancel the Sauté, close the lid, and turn the knob to Sealing. Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook on High for 2 minutes. It will take the pot about 10-15 minutes to come to pressure before the cooking time begins.
    • When the cooking time is complete, carefully quick release the pressure. If the steam release valve spits liquid, close the valve and wait 3-5 minutes before finishing the quick release.
    • After the pressure is released, remove the lid and stir in the baby spinach. Allow the spinach to wilt (about 1-2 minutes) before stirring in the heavy cream. Serve with shredded parmesan (optional).

    Notes

    To customize the heat level of your soup:
    • Mild version: Use mild or sweet Italian sausage, omit crushed red pepper flakes.
    • Medium version: Follow the recipe as listed.
    • Hot version: Use hot Italian sausage.
    Vegetable stock can be used in place of chicken broth. Shredded kale can be used in place of baby spinach.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 519kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 1336mg | Potassium: 570mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1352IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 149mg | Iron: 4mg

    Note: Nutrition was estimated using WP Recipe Maker.

    Tried this recipe?Tag @ByKelseySmith or use #bykelseysmith!

    Frequently asked questions

    Why should I cook soup in a pressure cooker?

    Making soup in the pressure cooker can have the same effect as slowly simmering a soup for a long time. The end result will have a good depth of flavor. In this dish, the pressure cooker brings out the flavors of the Italian sausage into the creamy broth.

    What is Italian sausage?

    Italian sausage is a seasoned ground pork sausage. You can usually find ground Italian sausage. If not, Italian sausage in casings will do the trick, just remove the casing before adding the meat to the dish.

    Can I freeze tortellini soup?

    Soups with pasta can turn mushy in the freeze/thaw process, and dairy-based soups can separate, so I do not recommend freezing this soup.

    Food safety

    When cooking with raw meat, food safety is especially important. Here are a few food safety reminders.

    • Cook ground meats to a minimum temperature of 160 °F (71.1 °C)
    • Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
    • Wash hands with hot, soapy water after touching raw meat
    • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
    • Never leave cooking food unattended
    • Follow your pressure cooker safety instructions

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

    Top down view of Instant Pot tortellini soup with cheese tortellini, wilted fresh baby spinach, diced tomatoes, and a creamy broth in a bowl. Garnished with shredded parmesan.Top down view of Instant Pot tortellini soup with cheese tortellini, wilted fresh baby spinach, diced tomatoes, and a creamy broth in a bowl. Garnished with shredded parmesan.

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    About Kelsey Smith

    I am a freelance content writer for college-level textbooks by day, mommy by night, and a blogger in between. I live in Knoxville, Tennessee with my husband, Xavier. When I'm not working on college textbooks, you might find me here, sharing recipes, social media tutorials, and more.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. MC says

      March 10, 2022 at 10:55 pm

      5 stars
      Just made it a second time, it's so good! My husband loved it

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        March 11, 2022 at 6:56 am

        Happy to hear you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    2. Rose says

      February 21, 2022 at 9:50 pm

      Made this stove top and came out sooo good! I can only imagine how the instant pot would come out.

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        February 21, 2022 at 11:08 pm

        That is great to hear. I haven't tried it stovetop, but I will now.

        Reply
    3. Jenny says

      February 21, 2022 at 12:42 pm

      5 stars
      Let me start by saying this recipe is amazing!!! I followed recipe exactly the only things different was I added extra garlic 2 whole garlics minced and I used my Ninja personal blender to finely chop the spinach. I looked through a few other recipes and went with this one. I'm glad I did this is a keeper!!! Thanks for sharing!!

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        February 21, 2022 at 9:37 pm

        Thanks for stopping back by to share that, that's awesome.

        Reply
    4. Kim says

      February 10, 2022 at 8:29 pm

      What If you don't have an Instant Pot, what other kind of pot can you use?

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        February 11, 2022 at 10:55 am

        This recipe will work for any electric pressure cooker, but if you're interested in cooking on the stovetop, try Life Made Simple for a similar recipe.

        Reply
    5. Carrie Kagel says

      February 07, 2022 at 11:00 am

      5 stars
      I made this last night! Huge hit with the boyfriend

      Reply
    6. Kayla DiMaggio says

      February 02, 2022 at 11:12 am

      5 stars
      I loved this instant pot soup! It was so easy and made for the perfect dinner!

      Reply
    7. Mihaela | https://theworldisanoyster.com/ says

      February 01, 2022 at 4:23 am

      I never made a pasta soup, but I am so inspired now! You used my favourite ingredients; I bet the taste is excellent! I will try a hot version soon.

      Reply
    8. nancy says

      January 31, 2022 at 5:20 pm

      easy IP soup are the best!

      Reply
    9. Giangi Townsend says

      January 31, 2022 at 3:14 pm

      Looks amazing, and I do love a great soup on chilled nights. I do have tortellini in my refrigerator, a perfect recipe to have them with.
      Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
    10. Dawn says

      January 31, 2022 at 10:55 am

      5 stars
      Love this tortellini soup with sausage and it's so easy to make in the Instant Pot! It is so delicious, the family loved it and asked me when I was making it again.

      Reply
    11. Natalie says

      January 31, 2022 at 10:07 am

      I'm making this for sure. My son would love this soup. Such an easy dinner idea for busy weekdays. thanks!

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Kelsey! I am a freelance content writer for college-level textbooks by day, mommy by night, and a blogger in between. I live in Knoxville, Tennessee with my husband, Xavier. When I'm not working, you might find me here, sharing easy family recipes.

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