Creamy Vegetable Tortellini Soup (Printer-friendly)

Tender tortellini with vegetables in creamy broth. Quick, comforting, and perfect for weeknight dinners.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
04 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 zucchini, diced
07 - 1 cup baby spinach, packed

→ Tortellini

08 - 9 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini

→ Broth & Cream

09 - 4 cups vegetable broth
10 - 1 cup heavy cream
11 - 1/2 cup whole milk

→ Seasonings

12 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
14 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
15 - Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

→ Garnish

16 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
17 - Fresh basil or parsley, chopped

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, sliced carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and diced zucchini; cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant.
03 - Pour in vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
04 - Add cheese tortellini and cook according to package instructions, usually 3 to 5 minutes, until just tender.
05 - Lower heat to a gentle simmer. Stir in heavy cream, milk, Italian herbs, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using.
06 - Add spinach and simmer until wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Ready in under 45 minutes, which means you can have dinner on the table without the usual weeknight scramble.
  • The cream makes it taste fancy and indulgent, but it's just as easy as opening a few cans of broth.
  • Somehow tastes even better the next day when the flavors have gotten cozy together in the fridge.
02 -
  • Don't skip the gentle simmering step after you add the cream, or you might get clumpy soup instead of that silky texture everyone falls for.
  • The zucchini matters less than you think, and you can swap it for almost any vegetable that won't turn the broth murky, from bell peppers to mushrooms to fresh peas.
03 -
  • If your tortellini is frozen instead of refrigerated, add an extra minute to the cooking time and stir it a few times so nothing sticks together in a clump.
  • The trick to soup that tastes intentional is seasoning in layers, tasting as you go instead of dumping everything in at once and hoping for the best.
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