Comforting Creamy Tortellini Soup (Print Version)
Rich Italian-style soup with cheese tortellini, vegetables, and creamy broth. Ready in 45 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
03 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 4 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
→ Soup Base
07 - 5 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
08 - 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
09 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs (basil, oregano, thyme)
10 - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
→ Pasta & Dairy
12 - 10 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini
13 - 1 cup heavy cream
14 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Garnish
15 - Fresh basil or parsley, chopped
# How-To Steps:
01 - Melt butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5-6 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
03 - Pour in vegetable broth and diced tomatoes with juices. Add Italian herbs, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Bring mixture to a gentle boil.
04 - Reduce heat to simmer. Add tortellini and cook according to package directions, typically 4-7 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
05 - Stir in heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until soup is creamy and heated through.
06 - Add chopped spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes until just wilted. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Ladle hot soup into bowls and garnish with fresh basil or parsley if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The broth becomes impossibly silky without needing any fancy techniques or long simmering times
- Its one of those rare soups that actually tastes better the next day, if you can manage to save any leftovers
02 -
- The tortellini will continue absorbing liquid as it sits so the soup thickens considerably overnight
- Adding the cream at the very end prevents it from separating or becoming grainy
03 -
- Use a microplane to grate the Parmesan directly into the hot soup for the smoothest incorporation
- Hold back about a cup of broth to add at the end if you prefer a thinner consistency