Easy Tortellini Soup With Chicken Broth (Printable Version)

Creamy tortellini soup with chicken broth, cheese pasta, fresh vegetables, and spinach. Ready in 40 minutes.

# 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 & Dairy

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

→ Pasta

08 - 18 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini

→ Seasonings

09 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
10 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
11 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
12 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Garnish

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

# How to Prepare:

01 - Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add olive oil, then sauté diced onions, sliced carrots, and sliced 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 dried Italian herbs, salt, ground black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
04 - Add 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, approximately 1 to 2 minutes.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
08 - Ladle into bowls and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It's ready in under 40 minutes, which means weeknight dinner actually happens without takeout.
  • The cream makes it feel indulgent without any complicated techniques or fancy ingredients.
  • Tortellini does the heavy lifting so you're not standing there chopping meat or worrying about timing proteins.
02 -
  • Don't use boiling-hot cream straight from the fridge—warm it slightly or pour it slowly while stirring so it doesn't break or curdle.
  • Tortellini from the refrigerated section cooks faster and tastes infinitely better than the dried version, and this dish is about ease so treat yourself.
03 -
  • Buy your tortellini the day you plan to cook this—it's fresher and the difference is noticeable in both texture and taste.
  • If you're worried about the soup being too rich, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream, but understand you're sacrificing a little luxury.
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