Easy Tortellini Soup With Chicken Broth (Print View)

Comforting winter soup with tender cheese tortellini, aromatic vegetables, and creamy chicken broth. Ready in under an hour for a hearty, satisfying meal.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
02 - 2 medium carrots, sliced
03 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
04 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped

→ Broth and Dairy

06 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
07 - 1 cup heavy cream

→ Pasta

08 - 18 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini

→ Seasonings

09 - 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
10 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional
11 - 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
12 - 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

→ Garnish

13 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
14 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add a splash of olive oil, then sauté onions, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Pour in chicken broth and bring to a gentle boil. Stir in Italian herbs, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using.
04 - Add the cheese tortellini and simmer according to package instructions, typically 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Lower the heat and add heavy cream. Simmer for 3 minutes.
06 - Stir in chopped spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
08 - Ladle into bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • You can throw this together in just 40 minutes when you want something that tastes like it took all day to prepare.
  • The combination of tender pasta pillows swimming in creamy broth somehow manages to be both light enough for lunch and filling enough for dinner.
02 -
  • Adding the cream over high heat can cause it to curdle and separate, so always reduce to a gentle simmer before stirring it in.
  • Refrigerated tortellini cooks much faster than you might expect, so check it frequently to avoid mushy pasta that falls apart in your soup.
03 -
  • If you have parmesan rinds in your freezer, throw one into the broth as it simmers then remove before serving – it adds incredible depth without any extra work.
  • When adding the tortellini, consider cooking it about one minute less than package instructions if you plan to have leftovers, as it will continue absorbing broth even after cooking.
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