This creamy Cheese Tortellini Soup recipe is filled with tortellini pasta, carrots, onions and spinach in a delicious creamy broth. This is the best comfort food soup recipe that will be ready in less than 30 minutes!
You’ll find a trio of veggies in this soup recipe, but you can always add in your favorites if carrot, onion and spinach are not your thing. This cozy cheese tortellini soup can be served with your favorite hunk of bread and a side salad. I like to add a light and fruity white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc) to round it all out.
If you’re a fan of creamy tortellini soups, you might also enjoy my sausage tortellini soup!
Ingredients needed for making Creamy Tortellini Soup:
- Olive Oil: This is for sauteing the veggies. You can use olive oil, canola or vegetable oil, or avocado oil.
- Vegetables: Carrot, Onion and Spinach are used in this recipe. Feel free to change things up. Sauteed mushrooms, chopped zucchini and kale would be good too.
- Flavor Enhancers: You’ll be using minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper and crushed red pepper.
- Flour: All purpose flour is used in this recipe to help thicken the sauce. If you need to make it gluten-free, I recommend using sweet rice flour or tapioca flour. Then, of course, you would need to use gluten-free pasta too.
- Wine: Use a dry white wine that you’ll enjoy drinking too. I recommend Sauvignon Blanc. You can sub broth for the wine, if you don’t cook with alcohol.
- Broth: Vegetable broth is used in this recipe to make the recipe completely vegetarian. Any other kind of broth may be used in its place.
- Cheese Tortellini: I use the fresh tortellini from the market. Frozen tortellini may also be used. I’ve never had dried tortellini, but I suppose that could be used as well.
- Cream: Heavy whipping cream is used in this recipe to perfect the very creamy soup. I would suggest substituting canned evaporated milk if you don’t want to use cream. Or you can lighten it up a bit using half and half (but it won’t be quite as thick).
- Parmesan Cheese: Grated Parmesan cheese is delicious sprinkled on top. If you happen to have a rind of a chunk of Parmesan, that’s really good to add to the soup while cooking too.
How to make Cheese Tortellini Soup:
The first step is getting the vegetables cooked and softened. You’ll cook the carrot and onion in some oil until almost tender, and then you’ll stir in the garlic. Flour is stirred in next, and then wine. Increase the heat to reduce the wine a bit. Then the broth is whisked in and simmered until it begins to thicken.
Tortellini, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper are added next. You’ll cook this until the tortellini is soft. The final step is mixing in the cream and spinach, allowing the spinach to wilt before serving. Individual servings are topping with Parmesan cheese!
Recipe Tips and Substitutions:
- Heavy cream is used in the recipe. If you like a creamy soup but don’t want to use heavy cream, use canned evaporated milk instead. That’ll give it a creamy texture too.
- Add cooked, crumbled sausage or shredded roasted chicken to the soup, if you’d like to add some protein. I like to use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth if I’m adding protein.
- Beans (such as white beans or chickpeas) may be added to the soup.
- Add 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil (drained).
- It’s okay to use frozen tortellini instead of fresh.
- If you don’t cook with wine, just use all broth instead.
- Sprinkle chopped fresh basil on top, if you’d like.
Make Ahead and Storage Tips:
Cheese tortellini soup is easy to make ahead and put together quickly. Everything can be done ahead of time in step one. When ready to serve, put the pot back on the stove and continue with the rest of the recipe, adding the pasta and everything else.
This soup may be stored in a covered container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. You may need to add in a little more broth if you eat it the next day since the pasta will tend to soak up the liquid. I don’t recommend freezing it because there is cream in the recipe.
What We Love About This Recipe:
- Cheese tortellini soup is an easy to make vegetarian soup recipe (great for meatless Mondays!)
- Adding refrigerated tortellini is super easy. It cooks so quickly!
- It’s filling enough to be served as a main dish, but it can also be served as a side dish or starter dish for a meal.
Cheese Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 medium carrots
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup dry white wine
- Two 14-ounce cans vegetable broth
- 9 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 cups chopped fresh spinach
- grated Parmesan cheese, for topping
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the carrots and onion; cook and stir until crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic; cook and stir one minute longer. Stir in the flour until blended; add the white wine. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine is reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the broth. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir until slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the tortellini, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper (and crushed red pepper, if using). Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, just until the tortellini are tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in the cream and spinach; cook and stir just until the spinach is wilted, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.