Description
This Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring tender cheese tortellini in a rich tomato and spinach broth, finished with a touch of cream and Parmesan cheese. Perfect for an easy weeknight meal, this soup combines savory sautéed onions and garlic with fire-roasted tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and fresh spinach to create a hearty and satisfying bowl.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 1 medium yellow onion, small diced
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth, plus more as needed
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, plus more as needed
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Pasta and Finish
- 4 cups cheese tortellini, fresh or frozen
- ½ to ¾ cup heavy cream or half-and-half, plus more to taste
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach, loosely packed
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large 6-quart pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 6 to 8 minutes until softened. Then, add minced garlic and Italian seasoning, stirring for another 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add Flour and Broth: Sprinkle the flour over the sautéed vegetables and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to coat everything evenly. Gradually pour in the broth while stirring to dissolve the flour completely.
- Add Tomatoes and Simmer: Add the canned diced tomatoes with their juices. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer with the lid partially covered. Let it cook for 5 to 6 minutes.
- Blend the Soup: Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. If you don't have one, carefully blend in batches using a countertop blender. Add more broth if the soup is too thick.
- Season Soup: Stir in 1 teaspoon granulated sugar to balance the tomato acidity. Adjust with additional sugar in ¼ teaspoon increments if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook Tortellini: Add the cheese tortellini to the soup and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes with the lid half-covered, or according to package instructions. Add a few extra minutes if using frozen tortellini.
- Add Cream and Spinach: Stir in ½ to ¾ cup heavy cream or half-and-half to your preferred creaminess. If the soup is too thick, add more broth to adjust the consistency. Add the fresh baby spinach and simmer for another 1 to 2 minutes until wilted.
- Serve: Let the soup cool slightly before serving. Ladle into bowls and top with grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy your creamy tomato tortellini soup!
Notes
- This recipe works best with fresh or frozen tortellini.
- An immersion blender is highly recommended for easy, safe blending directly in the pot.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop or microwave. Tortellini may become soggy; consider adding it fresh while reheating.
- For freezing, you can freeze just the soup base without cream, tortellini, or spinach for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating and adding fresh ingredients.
- Alternatively, freeze the soup base with cooked tortellini (without cream or spinach) for up to 3 months. Add cream and spinach when reheating.
- Substitute canned diced tomatoes with whole or crushed canned tomatoes if you lack a blender.
- Cheese tortellini works great, but feel free to use any preferred flavor.
- Add cooked crumbled sausage, mushrooms, kale, or fresh basil for variation.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1 1/2 cups)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: Thirty-two g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
