Easy Sausage Potato Soup: A Cozy Fall Classic

You catch the smell through the steam vent and suddenly you are starving. It’s that kinda scent that sneaks up on ya in the best way possible. Sweet potatoes mixing with savory sausage, all bubbling away in the pressure cooker, makes your tummy rumble loud enough to hear over the city noise outside your window.

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You remember how when you’re rushing home from work, the last thing you wanna do is a million dishes or wait forever for dinner. But this soup, y’all, it works real good for days like that. You get all those deep, cozy flavors without the wait, thanks to your trusty pressure cooker doing the heavy lifting.

When the float valve finally drops and steam cues tell you it’s time, your mouth’s watering just thinking about that tender pull of those sweet potatoes and the little bursts of cheesy tortellini. You spot that spinach wilting in the last moments, adding a fresh pop of color. Man, you’re gonna love this bowl of warmth sitting on your counter ready to go.

Why This Recipe Works Every Single Time

• Pressure cooker gets the sweet potatoes perfectly tender fast, no mushy mess.
• Sausage crisps up right before simmering, letting you get just the right browned bits.
• Floating valve and steam cues help you time everything without guesswork.
• Quick release keeps the tortellini from getting overcooked and falling apart.
• Spinach added last keeps it bright and fresh without wilted sadness.
• Heavy cream swirled in final adds that rich, cozy feel without weighing soup down.

Your Simple Ingredient Checklist

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• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound Italian sausage, casing removed
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon salt & ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 9 ounces cheese tortellini
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• ½ cup heavy cream

When you gather these up, you’re almost done. Olive oil to get things sizzling right. The sausage is the star player, bringing savory richness that pulls everything else together. Onions and garlic add that classic base flavor you can’t skip. Sweet potatoes? They bring natural sweetness and that tender pull you gotta have.

The broth and thyme give the soup its autumn vibes, and salt and pepper hit the right spot for seasoning. Then cheese tortellini, well it’s like little pillows of yum, soaking up all that broth. Spinach keeps it fresh and green, and heavy cream makes it creamy but not too thick; just right for wrapping up the whole bowl.

Walking Through Every Single Move

Start by heating that olive oil in your pressure cooker pot over medium heat. You don’t wanna rush this step; get the oil warm and ready for action.

Add the Italian sausage and cook it until it's browned up good. Breaking it apart with a spoon is key so you get nice little chunks instead of one big clump.

Drop in your diced onion and let it soften up, about 5 minutes or till it’s translucent and smells sweet. Toss in the garlic last; cook just a minute until fragrant so it doesn't burn and turn bitter.

Next up, add your peeled and diced sweet potatoes. Pour in the chicken broth, sprinkle the dried thyme, salt, and black pepper. Turn the heat up to boil, then seal your pressure cooker and set it for a slow release after it hits pressure.

Once that float valve does its thing and you’re at pressure, set the timer for 15 to 20 minutes. That gives sweet potatoes enough time to get tender but not falling apart. After the timer you can go for a quick release so you don’t overcook the tortellini.

Stir in the tortellini and cook it right in the hot soup for about 5 to 7 minutes. Toss in the spinach last and cook just until it wilts; two minutes tops. Then pour in the half cup of heavy cream and let it heat through a couple minutes. That’s it, ladle up and enjoy!

Easy Tweaks That Make Life Simple

• You can swap Italian sausage with turkey sausage if you’re looking for a leaner option.
• If you wanna save time, buy pre-diced sweet potatoes at the store. Makes prep painless.
• Using frozen spinach? Toss it in with the tortellini but keep an eye so it doesn’t get mushy.

These tiny shortcuts won’t mess with the flavor much but can seriously speed things up on a busy day. Just keep those steam cues and float valves in mind so your timing still works out right.

Your First Taste After the Wait

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Scooping up that first spoonful feels like cozy blankets on a chilly night. The sausage is juicy with browned edges and the broth wraps around your tongue rich and creamy.

The sweet potatoes give this kinda sweet, soft texture that plays really well with the tender cheese tortellini pillows. You can feel the thyme’s earthiness and that faint peppery warmth kinda tickling your senses.

The spinach pops just enough green freshness to keep the whole thing lively. And the heavy cream melts smoothly into every bit making it all just rich enough but not heavy.

It’s the kinda bowl you remember, comforting yet bright, perfect for when the leaves are turning and it’s feeling just right for soup.

Making It Last All Week Long

• Fridge storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container and it'll stay tasty for up to 4 days. Just reheat gently on the stove or microwave with a splash of water if it thickens.
• Freezing: This soup freezes great. Portion it out in freezer-safe containers and it lasts about 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
• Reheating tips: Use low heat so the cream doesn’t separate. Stir often and add fresh spinach when reheating if you want that green pop back.

Keeping this soup ready to go makes busy weeknights way easier. You’ll have that tender pull of sweet potatoes and all the sausage flavor waiting for ya whenever hunger strikes again.

Common Questions and Real Answers

• Can I use ground turkey instead of sausage?
  Yeah, turkey works but sausage has more fat for flavor so you might wanna add a bit more seasoning if you go turkey.
• What if I don’t have fresh spinach?
  Frozen is fine but toss it earlier so it thaws and cooks evenly though it changes texture a bit.
• How do I avoid overcooking the tortellini?
  Add tortellini after pressure cooking and cook just 5-7 mins. Quick release helps to stop it right on time.
• Can I make this vegetarian?
  Swap sausage for mushrooms or plant-based sausage and use veggie broth instead of chicken.
• What pressure cooker setting do I use?
  Use high pressure to get perfect tender pull on those sweet potatoes within 15-20 mins and quick release after.
• Why add heavy cream at the end?
  It gives richness and smooth texture but adding it last prevents curdling and keeps it velvety.

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Cozy Autumn Sausage and Sweet Potato Tortellini Soup Recipe

This cozy pressure cooker soup combines sweet potatoes, sausage, cheese tortellini, and spinach in a creamy broth for easy, hearty comfort any night of the week.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings 4 servings

Calories 420 kcal

Equipment

• 1 Pressure cooker

Ingredients

  

Soup Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound Italian sausage casing removed
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and diced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 9 ounces cheese tortellini
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• ½ cup heavy cream

Instructions

 

Preparation Steps

• Heat olive oil in the pressure cooker pot over medium heat until warm.
• Add Italian sausage and brown thoroughly, breaking it apart with a spoon.
• Add diced onion and cook about 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
• Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
• Stir in sweet potatoes, chicken broth, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
• Seal the pressure cooker and cook for 20 minutes at high pressure. Then quick release.
• Add tortellini and cook 5–7 minutes in hot soup until tender.
• Stir in spinach and cook 2 minutes until wilted.
• Pour in heavy cream and heat through, then serve warm.

Notes

Store leftovers in the fridge up to 4 days or freeze for 2 months. Reheat gently with a splash of water and stir in fresh spinach if desired.