Spicy Tortellini And Sausage Soup

This soup is made with sauerkraut. Yes, I’m serious. No, I do not like sauerkraut. Yes, this soup is delicious.

This recipe is not mine.  I completely and totally am taking it from a friend of mine.  Actually, I did change the recipe for Spicy Tortellini and Sausage Soup a little, because I wanted to have a shot at my husband liking it.

But more on that later.

My dear friend, Sarah, made this soup for us while we were having a garage sale at her house a couple of weeks ago. She was kind enough to open her prime location house on the town wide garage sale day then she made us soup as well.  Gotta love friendships. ;-)

I’ll be 100% honest.  When I first opened the crock pot lid and saw the contents, I wasn’t for sure if I would like it. However, it smelled great and I am up to try just about any soup so I gave it a try.

I ate two bowls.

Spicy Sausage And Tortellini Soup

It is, without a doubt, one of the best soups I have ever eaten.  I mean, I do make a great Crock Pot Split Pea Soup with Ham and we make the Crock Pot Vegetable Beef Soup is a favorite but there was just something about the mix of flavors in the spicy sausage and tortellini soup that made it beyond just good.

So back to the garage sale day, I was eating this soup at her table with my daughter and her friend, trying to figure out what was in it.  It was pretty obvious to me there were onions in this soup which would explain the flavor.  I was also noticing (and was extremely impressed by) Sarah’s onion slicing skills as they were all the same size and shape.  After I finished my two bowls, ahem, I went back outside and told Sarah my opinions of this soup.  As the others were eating it as well, she revealed to me what I had thought were onions, was instead, ready for this, sauerkraut.

Every one who wants to stop reading and forget this recipe, keep reading.  Because I despise sauerkraut.  I can’t stand the smell, I can’t stand the look or the texture.  It is just awful, plain and simple.

Except in this spicy tortellini and sausage soup.

It just fits, helps give this soup the flavor and is delicious.  I knew I wanted to make this soup for my family, but how would I ever get my meatatarian husband to eat sauerkraut?

I wouldn’t tell him until after the fact, of course.

So I make this soup.  As it is simmering away in the crock pot (and smelling delicious), my oldest son gets home from school and I let him have a taste test.  He says (and I quote), “Mom, this soup in phenomenal.  I think it may be my favorite soup!”

1 down, 4 more to go.

The Sauerkraut test

So comes the time for my husband to get home from work, knowing full well if he does not like this soup, he will get the jar of peanut butter out and will start eating peanut butter by the spoonfuls.  I then will fill guilty that my husband is starving and is gnawing on a spoonful of peanut butter to get some substance.

It is really, really hard trying new foods in my house. The stress is awful.

My husband walks in the kitchen and eyes the ice cream bread.  Smiles.  {So far so good.}  He opens the lid to the crock pot.  Frowns.  {Just went sour.}

He very pointedly asks me what is in the soup.  I say sausage. {I went for a favorite!}  He asks what else.  I say tortellini.  {Another safe ingredient.} He asks what else.  Then he rephrases it and asks if there is anything in there he wouldn’t like.  {Ouch. Can’t dodge that one.} I respond sauerkraut. Which I quickly explain how much Ryan loves the soup. {With Ryan in the background, SAUERKRAUT?!?!}  Sigh.

Mealtime comes.  We all sit down to eat.  My husband tries it.  And after two tentative bites, proclaims, “This soup is really, really good.”

No peanut butter guilt for me tonight. ;-)

Spicy Tortellini And Sausage Soup

This spicy tortellini and sausage soup with blend of ingredients, including sauerkraut is a delightful soup with just enough spice.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: soup,, Spicy Sausage

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 296kcal

Author: Kim Strawn

Ingredients

• 32 oz beef broth
• 4 cups water
• 1 lb ground sausage (browned)
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup spinach fresh or frozen (chopped into small pieces)
• 16 oz sauerkraut jarred
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• 16 oz frozen sausage tortellini

Instructions

• Brown sausage until no longer pink
• Put all ingredients except tortellini in crock pot
• Stir to combine
• Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-7
• About 30 minutes before serving, add tortellini
• Stir
• Serve with bread or crackers

Nutrition

Calories: 296kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 1128mg | Potassium: 248mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 119IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 3mg

The nutrition facts you see here are estimates. Please see our nutrition page.

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*This post was updated on December 26, 2019.