Butternut Squash Tortellini Soup with Mini Meatballs
Cozy up with this butternut squash tortellini soup with mini meatballs, it’s a hearty, creamy, dinner perfect for fall or winter nights. Roasted butternut squash and juicy chicken sausage meatballs are simmered in a creamy tomato broth, then finished with cheesy tortellini and fresh greens for a hearty, nutrient-packed meal. With layers of Italian-inspired spices, a silky base from coconut milk (or cream), and plenty of protein, this soup is equal parts comforting and satisfying.
Butternut Squash Tortellini Soup with Mini Meatballs ingredient notes:
Mini Meatballs: These bite-sized chicken sausage meatballs pack bold Italian flavor into every spoonful of soup. Baking them alongside the butternut squash keeps the recipe simple and adds a little caramelized richness. They’re hearty without being heavy, making them perfect for cozy comfort food that still feels balanced.
Butternut Squash: Sweet and nutty butternut squash creates the creamy, vibrant base for this cozy soup. Roasting the cubes first brings out their natural caramelized flavor, which pairs perfectly with savory meatballs and cheesy tortellini. Skip the prep time and opt for pre-cut squash cubes.
Tortellini: Tortellini thickens up this soup and adds a cheesy touch. I used Taste Republic gluten-free tortellini and had no issues with breakage, even if as it sat! You can under-cook the tortellini slightly if you plan on making this one ahead, so it’s perfectly tender as it sits and soaks up some of the broth.
Butternut Squash Tortellini Soup with Mini Meatballs
6
servings30
minutes50
minutesCozy up with this butternut squash tortellini soup with mini meatballs, it’s a hearty, creamy, dinner perfect for fall or winter nights. Roasted butternut squash and juicy chicken sausage meatballs are simmered in a creamy tomato broth, then finished with cheesy tortellini and fresh greens for a hearty, nutrient-packed meal. With layers of Italian-inspired spices, a silky base from coconut milk (or cream), and plenty of protein, this soup is equal parts comforting and satisfying.
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Ingredients
- For the Spice Mix
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus additional to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- For the Sheet Pan
4 cups peeled and diced butternut squash (about 1 medium squash, diced into 1/2-inch cubes or 20 ounces precut squash)
olive oil
1 pound ground Italian chicken sausage (spicy or sweet)
- For the Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk (or light cream)
9 ounces tortellini pasta (I used Taste Republic GF tortellini)
3 cups baby spinach or shredded curly kale
nutritional yeast or grated parmesan (optional), for topping
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Combine the basil, oregano, salt, thyme, black pepper, rosemary, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Divide the mix in half and set both small bowls aside.
- Add the diced butternut squash to the prepared sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil and one half of spice mix (one small bowl), and toss to coat. Spread out in one even layer.
- With lightly oiled hands, form the ground chicken sausage into evenly sized 1/2-tablespoon meatballs, and nestle on the sheet pan between the squash, avoiding overlap. Bake until the squash is lightly browned and tender and the sausage meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165ºF, 20 to 24 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the soup: heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot or dutch oven until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring often until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and remaining spice mix and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until deep red and incorporated into the onion mixture, another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Stir in the broth, coconut milk (or cream), and 2 cups of water, and increase the heat to high. Bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, add the tortellini and cook until it rises to the top, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Transfer the cooked sheet pan components to the soup pot along with the spinach or kale. Stir gently to combine and continue cooking until the kale has wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Salt to taste.
- Remove the pot from the heat and serve in bowls with grated parmesan or nutritional yeast on top (if using).
Notes
- Store It: Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat It: Microwave until warmed, about 2 minutes, or return to a saucepan and heat over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.
- Swap the nutritional yeast for 1/4 cup of grated parmesan.
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My family loved this soup! We are dairy free, so I swapped out the tortellini for regular noodles, and then shredded manchego cheese over the soup. So good!
This looks great! Would turkey sausage work? I can’t find ground chicken sausage in my area.
Loved the flavor profile of this! Realized once I committed to start making this that I didn’t have dried basil on hand but the recipe still turned out delicious – just means I’ll have to make it again! To make it dairy free I used Kite Hill tortellini which worked well in it. Also halved the red pepper flakes because I like spice but my husband can’t handle heat & the compromise worked out well for us.
I made this for dinner last night and just had some leftovers for my lunch. I used spinach in place of kale and left out the red pepper flakes because I was using spicy sausage. This is delicious and very quick and easy to make.
I made this tonight with organic chicken chicken sausage with no casing and spinach. It was delicious! Thank you for sharing. 😁
We made this tonight and absolutely loved it! Great flavor combinations and a hearty meal overall. Thank you!
Just me this tonight, wowza, sooooo good!
This was so yummy and easy to make! Even my fiance who normally doesn’t like soup loved it. Very hearty and filling
This soup is really good, however I would not use coconut milk again. The coconut overpowers the Italian flavors. I will definitely make again but with cream/light cream.
It turned out SO good and was the perfect fall meal prep soup for this week 🙂 This recipe is also really forgiving. I used the Trader Joe’s gluten free gnocchi instead of the tortellini, almond milk instead of coconut milk, and added a sweet potato since I realized I didn’t have enough butternut squash and it still turned out so delicious!
So so SO good! A much different taste & flavor than I was expecting. I couldn’t find ground Italian chicken at my grocery store, so opted for pre-made chicken meatballs they had there. But it worked perfectly! The coconut milk and chicken stock make such a lovely broth together. Can’t wait to make it again!
This soup is amazingly good! My hubby who dislikes soup loved it and ate the leftovers for lunch. I’ll have to double it next time so we both can enjoy it all week.
So delicious! Made with half and half as that’s what I had on hand and it turned out beautifully. Another 5 star meal from Jenn!
This turned out really well! I made a few small changes for convenience: sauteed the sausage with the onion instead of roasting it with the squash, used the whole can of coconut milk, and cooked the tortellini separately and ladled the soup over it to serve. Definitely a keeper and perfect for fall.
Can’t even explain my family’s obsession with this soup. It’s gone “viral” with my mom and sisters texting me every time they make it. Thank you, Jenn, for always creating such tasty recipes that make for great memories with the fam!
My husband LOVED this soup! He ate all the leftovers when I wasn’t looking for lunch until it was gone. He says it needs to be added to our regular rotation 😀 Thank you for sharing!
High effort, high reward. I have made this twice for when we had guests over. I took some creative license because of what I had available. I made my own chicken meatballs by running partially frozen chicken breast with beef tallow, breadcrumbs, an egg, and seasonings through my food processor. The first time I tried making them, I didn’t add any additional fat and the meatballs were a bit tough because chicken is so lean. And the scoop I had was 2 teaspoons which was the perfect size. The second time I made it, I roasted the meatballs and squash separately so I had more room for browning on the sheet tray.
I also used more squash than called for. I used a whole butternut squash and a carnival squash that was available to me locally- similar to a acorn squash with edible skin but a richer flavor and beautiful colors on the skin.
I also used a full can of coconut milk since I don’t have a use for just the little bit of the leftover.
This was a delicious soup and I certainly will be making it again.
I took a lot of liberties with this like blending up half of the butternut squash with the cooked down onion and garlic to make it less chunky, used vegan ravioli, and omitted the meatballs. But this was still very good, filling, and can’t wait to eat the leftovers!
I made this soup and my daughter who is very picky loved it. I baked some of the butternut squash seeds on the side with the squash, seasoning and meatballs. They were very good.