Creamy Vegetable Tortellini Soup (Print View)

A rich, satisfying soup with cheese tortellini, fresh vegetables, and velvety cream broth—perfect for cozy weeknight dining.

# 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 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

# Method:

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 as needed.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's ready in under 45 minutes, which means you can go from craving comfort food to actually eating it without a major time investment.
  • The cream makes it feel indulgent while the vegetables keep it grounded and nourishing, so you get that satisfying both-worlds thing.
02 -
  • Don't skip the sautéing step at the beginning—that few minutes of softening the aromatic vegetables is what makes this taste homemade and complex instead of like you just dumped everything in a pot.
  • The milk is there for a reason: cream alone would be too rich and coat your mouth, but mixing it with milk gives you that perfect creamy texture that still lets you taste everything else in the soup.
03 -
  • Don't add the cream until right before you're ready to serve, or make it while guests are about to arrive—cream-based soups can separate if they sit too long or get too hot, and you want it to look as good as it tastes.
  • If you can't find refrigerated tortellini, frozen works fine, but add it a couple minutes earlier to account for the extra cooking time, and taste one to make sure it's tender before serving.
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