We’re still deep into cozy soup season, so I’m enjoying my pasta soup style this evening in this super creamy tortellini soup. It’s got a rich and creamy tomato-based broth, hearty cheese tortellini to sink your teeth into, a medley of veggies, and everything you’re going to want on a chilly winter night. Plus, the leftovers are awesome, so come lunchtime tomorrow, you’ll be really glad you made it. ;)
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What’s in Tortellini Soup
This soup, at its core, is super basic, but the ingredients add up to big flavor and a hearty bowl that will keep you full. Here’s a quick rundown of the ingredients in this delicious tortellini soup:
- Vegetables: This soup starts like many other soups with a mirepoix (onion, celery, and carrot) plus a little garlic for good measure.
- Tomatoes: I’ve added two tomato products to this soup, tomato paste and crushed tomatoes. The tomato paste helps thicken the broth and gives a deep tomatoey flavor, while the crushed tomatoes give the soup volume and a little more texture.
- Vegetable Broth: Vegetable broth gives this soup volume and dimension to the flavor.
- Italian Seasoning: I kept the seasoning simple here by using an Italian seasoning blend instead of using several individual spices. If you don’t have Italian seasoning, you can substitute it with a mix of basil and oregano.
- Cheese Tortellini: The star of the show! I used a bag of frozen small cheese tortellini to give the soup extra belly-filling power. You can use just about any flavor of tortellini you’d like for this soup.
- Heavy Cream: A splash of heavy cream makes the broth extra lush, but you can skip it if you’d like! I love adding the cream because it makes the soup taste like a really rich tomato soup.
- Spinach: I finished the tortellini soup off with a couple of handfuls of fresh spinach to give the soup balance and a little more color. You can skip the spinach or add some frozen chopped spinach in its place if you wish.
Buying Tortellini
Tortellini is one of the most expensive ingredients in this soup, so make sure you’re shopping wisely! In most major grocery stores you’ll be able to find tortellini in three places: with dry pasta, in the freezer section (near frozen bread), and with fresh pasta in the dairy case. I find that the frozen tortellini is usually the best price, and you can even use half the amount of tortellini in this recipe if you need to reduce the cost further. If using dry tortellini, you’ll need to boil the tortellini in the soup slightly longer and you may need to add extra water.
What Else Can I Add?
Italian sausage makes a great addition to this soup if you want something a little more meaty, or you could even sauté some bacon in the pot before the vegetables for even more richness. Want to make it extra cheesy? Sprinkle some grated or shredded Parmesan on top of each bowl just before serving.
How to Store Tortellini Soup
After cooking, divide the tortellini soup into single-serving portions and refrigerate until ready to eat. For longer storage, you can transfer the containers to the freezer after they’re fully chilled. To reheat, microwave on high until the soup is heated through, or reheat in a saucepot over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
Creamy Tortellini Soup
Servings 8 1.5 cups eachIngredients
- 1 yellow onion ($0.37)
- 2 carrots ($0.29)
- 2 stalks celery ($0.22)
- 4 cloves garlic ($0.32)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.26)
- 4 Tbsp tomato paste ($0.36)
- 1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes ($1.69)
- 1.5 tsp Italian seasoning ($0.15)
- 4 cups vegetable broth ($0.52)
- 19 oz. cheese tortellini (frozen) ($4.79)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream ($0.82)
- 4 oz. fresh spinach ($1.20)
- 3/4 tsp salt ($0.04)
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
Instructions
- Dice the onion, carrot, and celery. Mince the garlic. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to a large soup pot along with the olive oil. Sauté over medium heat until the onions soften (about 5 minutes).
- Add the tomato paste and continue to stir and cook over medium heat for about three minutes more.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and vegetable broth to the pot. Stir to combine and dissolve any tomato paste off the bottom of the pot.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the soup up to a simmer. Let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the frozen tortellini to the soup and boil for about 3 minutes, or the recommended time on the package needed to cook the tortellini.
- Turn the heat off. Stir the heavy cream into the soup. Stir the fresh spinach into the soup until wilted.
- Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste (we added about ¾ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper).
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How to Make Tortellini Soup – Step By Step Photos
Dice one yellow onion, two carrots, and two stalks of celery. Mince four cloves of garlic. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to a large soup pot along with 2 Tbsp olive oil. Sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the onions have softened.
Add four tablespoons of tomato paste to the pot and continue to sauté with the vegetables for about three minutes more.
Add one 28oz. can of crushed tomatoes, 1.5 tsp Italian seasoning blend, and 4 cups vegetable broth to the pot. Stir to combine and dissolve any tomato paste off the bottom of the pot.
Turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow the soup to come up to a simmer. Allow the soup to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add one 19oz. package of frozen cheese tortellini to the soup and continue to boil for 3 minutes, or as long as needed according to the package directions to cook the tortellini.
Turn the heat off and stir ½ cup heavy cream into the soup (optional).
Add about four large handfuls of fresh spinach to the soup, then stir it in and allow the spinach to wilt.
Give the soup a taste and adjust the salt or other seasonings to your liking (we added ¾ tsp salt and ¼ tsp freshly cracked pepper).
I like my tortellini soup garnished with a light sprinkle of Parmesan and some freshly grated black pepper. 😋
Made this recipe as is (w/ crushed tomatoes) and it was sooo good! I kept going back for more 🙌🏼
When did this recipe change? I printed the recipe in November 2013. It called for 28 oz. of water, 1 t each of basil and oregano. I see it now instead of the water, it calls for 4 c vegetable broth and 1.5 t each of basil and oregano. Curious why the recipe was changed?
Occasionally when I remake recipes I update them to make them better, in this case I used vegetable broth and increased the herbs to add more flavor (and you don’t need the full 2 tsp salt at the end as in the original version because there is salt in the broth. Just add it to taste, if needed). :)
This would be an awesome one to do for your recipe updates. :) I made with two tofurky Italian sausages (chopped up fine), some red pepper flakes, and finished with a dollop of heavy cream and freshly grated Parmesan. I also made with 19oz tortellini and a full pound of spinach. Sounds more modified than it tastes! I adore you Budget Bytes team!!
Just made this recipe. It was delicious, however, it felt more like a warm pasta than a soup due to the tomato sauce. Next time, I’ll substitute the tomato sauce with a veggie broth.
Sorry to hear it wasn’t all expected! Let us know how the swaps turn out next time.
Can I use fresh tortellini?
Yes, just keep in mind that fresh pasta cooks very quickly.
Made my version of this delicious recipe and it was great! Thanks for your recipes! I always twist. I used fresh spinach and a hearty mix of frozen veggies also subbed in stew beef. For a mild version. Mushrooms next time for sure!
Just made this for dinner tonight. We got 2 bags of Tortellini based on Beth’s comments above. 1 cheese & 1 meat. I used Veggie broth instead of water for more flavor ☺ Now off to taste test with the family. Thanks Beth – my whole grocery bill is down I have 13 of your recipes for the next 2 weeks. I spent less than $300 for a family of 5.
This soup is a hit! I use fresh spinach & added hot sausage & navy beans. Very hearty in cooler weather. If you are having people over & you are sautéing garlic as they arrive, the mood & comments are a fun way to start.
I add double the tortellini, and make sure to use *chopped* frozen spinach – the whole frozen spinach can be a bit much to deal with for picky eaters. Other than these subs, this recipe has been a regular sustaining meal for my household for at least 3 years!
I made this and it was delish!!
I added Italian sausage and crushed red peppers. I served with mozzarella cheese too!
Quick & delicious! This can easily be halved by using 15-oz cans of tomatoes and sauce. Additionally, I used fresh spinach instead of frozen.
Hi, I love your recipes! They are really helping my husband and me stick to food planning and a budget. I have a bag of dried tortellini I want to use up and would really like to make this in my slow cooker. Any idea how much more liquid I should add, to make up for the dried pasta?
Thank you for your help.
Hmm, maybe 2 cups per 8oz. pasta? But be careful, when you cook pasta in a slow cooker it tends to get VERY mushy.
Thank you so much for replying, I probably won’t put it in until maybe half way or more through. But I can’t wait to try this recipe😃
This was fantastic! I added some carrots and celery for fun. My toddler gobbled in down despite the prevalence of veggies. (#toddlerhack) I’m having it again for breakfast! Thanks again Beth!
Love it!! I added one can of white kidney beans and about 4 ounces (half package) of mushrooms, because I love mushrooms! It’s amazing.
The first time I made this I was not a fan –
Now I am!!
I see where I went wrong; i used a bag of frozen spinach vs the box =/ i think it made it more watery
Also – I added a can of white beans (as I saw someone else do in a separate comment) – I feel it really added some goodness!