Creamy tortellini soup is a deliciously warm way to spruce up a package of tortellini noodles. Plus, it's fun to customize the soup with seasonal veggies, meat and fresh herbs.
Creamy Tortellini Soup
Updated Aug. 13, 2024
In a soup slump? Swap out plain-old chicken noodle for fresh, unexpected ingredients and textures. Our recipe for creamy tortellini soup is distinctively cheesy, and we’ll show you some fun ways you can customize the soup to your preferences (like adding savory Italian sausage and curly kale).
This creamy, filling dinner is sure to make it on your list of favorite quick soups. Serve it with a crispy salad and some homemade bread to bring it all together!
Creamy Tortellini Soup Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Carrots
- Onion
- Garlic cloves
- All-purpose flour
- Dry white wine
- Canned vegetable broth
- Packaged refrigerated cheese tortellini
- Italian seasoning
- Salt
- Pepper
- Heavy whipping cream
- Chopped fresh spinach
- Crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- Grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Directions
Step 1: Cook the aromatics
In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the carrots and onion, and stir them until they’re crisp-tender, six to eight minutes. Add the garlic, cooking and stirring it for one minute longer.
Step 2: Let the wine reduce
Stir in the flour until it’s blended, and then add the white wine. Increase the heat and cook, stirring occasionally until the wine is reduced by half, two to three minutes. Gradually whisk in the broth. Bring the soup to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until it has slightly thickened, three to five minutes.
Step 3: Add tortellini
Add the tortellini, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and, optionally, crushed red pepper flakes. Reduce the heat and cook the soup, uncovered, just until the tortellini are tender, three to five minutes. Add the cream and spinach, cooking and stirring until the spinach is wilted, one to two minutes longer.
Step 4: Garnish and serve
If desired, serve with grated Parmesan cheese and top with additional crushed red pepper flakes.
Creamy Tortellini Soup Variations
The best part of cooking soup is making it your own!
- Use fresh greens:Â Swap fresh spinach for fresh kale, use fresh herbs (whether homegrown herbs or store-bought) instead of dried, and add meat for extra protein.
- Add some protein:Â You can add cooked Italian sausage or chicken, or you can buy meat-filled tortellini.
- Pack it with vegetables: Adding more veggies is also a simple upgrade—try mushrooms, tomatoes or sliced zucchini.
- Make fresh pasta:Â If you’re really looking to make this soup from scratch, try making your own tortellini.
How do you store creamy tortellini soup leftovers?
The best way to store your creamy tortellini soup leftovers is to place in an airtight container and enjoy it the next day. It’s no secret that soups often taste better a day after cooking. If you don’t want to eat the same dinner two nights in a row, your soup will last in the fridge for three to four days.
Because of the pasta and dairy, we don’t recommend freezing it. The tortellini noodles will become soggy and the cream could turn grainy upon reheating.
Creamy Tortellini Soup
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
15 min
Yield
6 cups (1-1/2 quarts)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 medium carrots, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) vegetable broth
- 1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- Crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 cups chopped fresh spinach
- Grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Directions
- In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add carrots and onion; cook and stir until crisp-tender, 6-8 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute longer. Stir in flour until blended; add white wine. Increase heat and cook, stirring occasionally until wine is reduced by half, 2-3 minutes. Gradually whisk in broth. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir until slightly thickened, 3-5 minutes.
- Add tortellini, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and, if desired, crushed red pepper flakes. Reduce heat and cook, uncovered, just until tortellini are tender, 3-5 minutes. Stir in cream and spinach; cook and stir just until spinach is wilted, 1-2 minutes longer. If desired, serve with grated Parmesan cheese and top with additional crushed red pepper flakes.
Nutrition Facts
1 cup: 345 calories, 21g fat (11g saturated fat), 64mg cholesterol, 720mg sodium, 33g carbohydrate (6g sugars, 3g fiber), 9g protein.
