Creamy Vegetable Tortellini Soup (Printable)

Comforting soup with tender cheese tortellini, vibrant vegetables, and a creamy broth—perfect for weeknight meals.

# What You 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
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

# Directions:

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 2 minutes until fragrant.
03 - Pour in vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes to develop flavors.
04 - Add cheese tortellini and cook according to package instructions, typically 3 to 5 minutes, until just tender.
05 - Lower heat to a gentle simmer. Stir in heavy cream, milk, dried Italian herbs, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using.
06 - Add spinach and simmer until wilted, approximately 1 to 2 minutes.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with grated Parmesan and fresh herbs. Serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together so quickly that you will spend less time at the stove and more time relaxing on the sofa.
  • The combination of heavy cream and savory broth creates a velvet texture that feels much fancier than a forty minute recipe.
02 -
  • If you boil the soup after adding the cream it might separate so keep the heat very low.
  • The pasta continues to soak up liquid as it sits so you might need more broth for leftovers.
03 -
  • Adding a rind of parmesan cheese to the broth while it simmers creates an incredible depth of umami.
  • A tiny squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end can brighten the entire pot if it feels too heavy.
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