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    Home » Recipes » Hearty Italian Soups

    Broccoli Rabe and Tortellini Soup

    Published: Feb 11, 2023 · Modified: Jan 7, 2025 by Vinny · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    You won't find a more hearty soup than this Broccoli Rabe and Tortellini Soup with Sausage. It's filled with broccoli rabe, sweet Italian sausage, tortellini, and a bit of calabrian peppers for a little spice.

    Sausage and broccoli rabe soup with tortellini in a dutch oven.

    Looking for more sausage soups? Try our Zuppa Toscana or Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup with Sausage.

    Jump to:
    • Why this Recipe
    • Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
    • Step-by-Step Directions
    • Pro-Tips
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Hearty, Healthy Soup
    • Hearty Soup Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Reviews

    Why this Recipe

    Broccoli rabe and tortellini soup is a recipe inspired by my dad and grandma. My dad always makes a sausage soup with broccoli rabe and usually adds a grain like lentils, instead of tortellini, so we'd always have Sausage and Lentil Soup. And every time I even smell Sauteed Rapini with Garlic I think of my grandmother, who was constantly around when we were growing up.

    A lot of people don't know what broccoli rabe/rapini is. When I tell people about it in the South, they often have no idea what I'm talking about. I swear they stock the shelves with like 5 bushels of rapini a week and all the Italians grab it first thing Monday afternoon.

    Ingredients Notes and Substitutions

    Ingredients for the recipe.
    • Italian Sausage. I prefer to use sweet Italian sausage in soup, but if you want to make this soup a little spicier, go with a hot Italian sausage. You can also use ground pork and our Homemade Italian Sausage Seasoning to make your own sausage. Start by removing the sausage from the casing. I make homemade sausage every 6 months and freeze it for later use.
    • Calabrian peppers. If you don't have calabrian peppers, they can be found in the supermarket near the cans of tomato sauce and tomato paste usually. But you can substitute crushed red peppers at half the amount.
    • Tortellini. Plain cheese tortellini is the best option for this soup. There are enough flavors in the soup without having to add a flavored or stuffed tortellini of some kind.
    • White Wine. I always go with Sauvignon Blanc for cooking.

    *Please see the recipe card below for more information on ingredients.

    Step-by-Step Directions

    Browning sausage in a dutch oven.

    Step 1: Heat a large dutch oven to medium-high heat. Brown the sausage until no longer pink about 7 minutes. Don't overmix. Let the sausage sit for a few minutes at a time so it develops a crust. Remove the sausage once it is no longer pink and set aside.

    Sauteing carrots, celery, and onion in dutch oven.

    Step 2: Lower the heat to medium. In the oil from the sausage, saute the carrots, celery, and onion until softened. The onion should become translucent but not develop brown edges.

    Sauteing garlic and calabrian chili peppers with vegetables.

    Step 3: Once the vegetables are softened, for about 8 minutes, stir in the garlic and calabrian peppers. Saute the garlic for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

    Deglazing pan with white wine.

    Step 4: Add white wine and simmer until it is reduced by half. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

    Wilting broccoli rabe in dutch oven with vegetables.

    Step 5: Add the chopped and rinsed broccoli rabe with 1 teaspoon salt to the pot with ½ cup of chicken broth and cover for 5 minutes. Let the broccoli rabe wilt. Uncover and stir well.

    Simmering soup in dutch oven.

    Step 6: Add the rest of the chicken broth and a parmesan rind. Bring to a boil and then return to a simmer. Add the sausage back in and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

    Boiling tortellini in soup.

    Step 7: Add the tortellini in and simmer for another 10 minutes until the tortellini is al dente.

    Serve this broccoli rabe and tortellini soup with plenty of grated parmesan cheese and crusty Italian or sourdough bread.

    Pro-Tips

    1. Let the sausage sit out for 30 minutes before you cook it. Bringing the sausage to room temperature will make getting a good sear easier.
    2. When you sear the sausage, allow it to sit on the pan without disturbing for at least 3 minutes. Allow a crust to develop, then stir the sausage and continue to brown. 
    3. Season soup in stages. Add salt throughout the cooking process and taste as you go. 
    Sausage and broccoli rabe soup with tortellini in a dutch oven.

    Recipe FAQs

    Can I omit the sausage?

    Yes, you can omit the sausage and the chicken broth and replace them with vegetable broth. Keep in mind you'll need to use some oil to saute the vegetables without the animal fat from the sausage.

    Can I Substitute Broccoli for Broccoli Rabe

    Broccoli rabe has a very distinct and powerful taste. I wouldn't substitute broccoli because there wouldn't be enough flavor in just the broccoli. You could replace the broccoli rabe with escarole though instead.

    Hearty, Healthy Soup

    Everything is a hearty healthy soup. You see it on every can of soup in the supermarket. I hate to use the word healthy because "healthy" is a spectrum. It is better to eat a can of soup than a chocolate donut for dinner. But canned soup is highly processed and the reason we call this blog Always From Scratch is because it is important to us to decrease our processed food intake.

    I want to provide my family with as much homemade food as their hearts desire. Soup is an easy way to do that. We make soup almost weekly in the winter whether it's Beef and Barley Soup with Mushrooms or Chicken Tortellini Soup. We always make double batches and keep some in the freezer. This makes it so we don't get bored of the same soup and can switch it up.

    Hearty Soup Recipes

    • white bean lentil soup
      White Bean Lentil Soup
    • A dutch oven filled with escarole and beans along with a bowl of the same.
      Escarole and Bean Soup
    • A bowl of minestrone with a piece of Italian bread.
      Classic Italian Minestrone
    • Barley and lentil soup
      Barley Lentil Soup

    Please leave a comment and star rating below in the recipe card! I love to hear what you think of our recipes. Feel free to tag us on Instagram @vindelgiudice.

    📖 Recipe

    Sausage and broccoli rabe soup with tortellini in a dutch oven.

    Broccoli Rabe and Tortellini Soup

    Vincent DelGiudice
    A spicy and hearty soup with broccoli rabe, sausage, and tortellini.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 1 hour hr
    Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 8 servings
    Calories 426 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 Large Dutch Oven

    Ingredients
      

    • 1½ lbs sweet Italian sausage
    • 1 bushel of broccoli rabe, roughly chopped
    • ½ lb tortellini
    • 2 carrots, diced
    • 1 medium onion, diced
    • 2 celery stalks, diced
    • 8 garlic cloves, minced
    • ⅓ cup white wine
    • 1 tablespoon calabrian peppers
    • 2½ quarts chicken broth
    • 1 parmesan rind
    • 2 teaspoon salt

    Instructions
     

    • In a large sauce pot or dutch oven on medium-high heat, brown the hot Italian sausage. Once no pink remains, remove the sausage from the pot. About 7 minutes.
    • Turn the heat down to medium heat. In the oil from the sausage, stir in carrots, celery, and onion. Add salt and pepper to the mixture for taste. Saute until soft and onions are translucent, about 8-10 minutes. Then add in garlic and calabrian peppers and saute until fragrant.
    • Add white wine and simmer until it is reduced by half. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
    • Add all of the broccoli rabe and a ½ cup of chicken broth. Cover the dutch oven and leave it for 3-5 minutes or until the broccoli rabe is wilted. Add salt and stir well until vegetables are mixed throughout.
    • Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and return to a simmer. Add in sausage, parmesan rind, and more salt, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the basil leaves.
    • Add tortellini and simmer for another 10 minutes or until tortellini is cooked through. Serve with grated parmesan cheese.

    Notes

    1. Let the sausage sit out for 30 minutes before you cook it. Bringing the sausage to room temperature will make getting a good sear easier.
    2. When you sear the sausage, allow it to sit on the pan without disturbing for at least 3 minutes. Allow a crust to develop, then stir the sausage and continue to brown. 
    3. Season soup in stages. Add salt throughout the cooking process and taste as you go. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 426kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 20gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 2453mgPotassium: 436mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 3366IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 117mgIron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?We'd love for you to Leave a Review!

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      Beef and Barley Soup with Mushrooms
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Vinny

      June 30, 2024 at 10:48 am

      5 stars
      This is a delicious and easy soup to make! Your whole family will love it!

      Reply
    5 from 1 vote

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    Vinny in the Kitchen.

    Vinny DelGiudice, MS CCC-SLP

    My name is Vinny. I am an Italian-American home cook, a photographer, and previously, a speech pathologist specializing in swallowing and voice disorders. I share the recipes I grew up eating in my home and the recipes that I cook for my family. Always From Scratch is about cooking homemade meals and eating with family.

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