This creamy tomato tortellini soup is the ultimate weeknight one-pot recipe! It comes together in 30 minutes, and it’s make-ahead and freezer friendly.
You’ll love the creamy, flavor-packed tomato soup served with perfectly cheesy tortellini pasta. I like to finish it with parmesan cheese and serve with bread.
I promise, a hearty bowl of creamy tomato tortellini soup will brighten up even the gloomiest of days! The entire family will love it.
This creamy tomato tortellini soup is one of my family’s favorite soups ever, loaded with a delicious creamy tomato broth and cheesy tortellini! It’s truly comforting and cozy, which is perfect to keep you warm during these cold winter days.
It is a great weeknight dinner option, as it comes together in no time, and all in one pot! Super easy and simple to make.
This creamy tomato tortellini soup has a similar flavor profile to my Tomato Basil Bisque, which we’ve been making quite a lot lately! We’ve also been loving this hearty Beef Barley Soup, Bacon Potato Chowder, Cream of Asparagus, and Cream of Broccoli. So, so comforting. Seriously.
Why we’re in love with this recipe:
- Ready in 30 minutes, a great weeknight dinner that the entire family will love!
- A one pot wonder! No need to cook the pasta separately.
- Comforting and cozy
- Customizable: Use your favorite tortellini flavors or add extra ingredients to make it extra hearty.
- Make-ahead and freezer friendly
Speaking of comfort food, have you tried this Slow Cooker Chicken Stew or Dutch Oven Roast Chicken yet?
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Ingredient Notes
Below are a few helpful ingredient notes from recipe testing. As always, the full ingredient list with quantities is listed in the recipe card down below.
- Diced onions and minced garlic: To make the aromatic base of the soup.
- Italian seasoning: To add more aromatic flavors.
- All-purpose flour: Used to thicken the soup.
- Chicken or vegetable broth
- Canned diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted for extra smoky flavors.
- Granulated sugar: Used to cut through the acidity of the tomatoes and balance out flavors. You only need 1 teaspoon. It won’t make the soup sweet at all, no worries.
- Tortellini: I use fresh cheese tortellini, but frozen works too. Feel free to use your favorite flavor.
- Heavy cream: Adds richness and creaminess to the soup. It also helps to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Fresh spinach: I use baby spinach.
- Shredded or grated parmesan cheese for topping
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Step-by-Step Instructions
Below is a tutorial on how to make this easy creamy tomato tortellini soup, plus all the tips and tricks you need to know to make it extra good!
Step 1 | Saute aromatics and add flour
In a large pot or Dutch oven (I use a 5-quart), heat some olive oil to medium heat and saute the diced onions until softened. Then, add the garlic and Italian seasoning and saute for another minute or so, until fragrant.
Then, add the all-purpose flour and stir to combine evenly to coat, about 1 minute. The flour will help thicken the soup later.
Step 2 | Add broth and diced tomatoes
Then, add the chicken broth and stir until the flour dissolves. Add the canned diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until incorporated.
Step 3 | Blend
Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. Optional: To make this tomato tortellini soup extra flavorful, add some fresh basil.
If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a countertop blender. Do it in batches and be careful since hot liquids tend to expand in the blender.
Step 4 | Add tortellini and simmer
Add the granulated sugar. Sugar cuts through the acidity of the tomatoes, balancing flavors. Give it a taste, and if it still tastes too acidic, add more sugar, ¼ teaspoon or less at a time. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Then, stir the tortellini and simmer until fully cooked, about 8 minutes or according to package directions, with the lid partially covered.
Step 5 | Add cream and adjust consistency
Add the heavy cream and simmer for an extra minute. If the soup is too thick, add more broth or cream to taste. If it’s too thin, dissolve some flour in broth and add it as needed, simmering until thickened.
Step 6 | Add spinach and serve
At the very end, stir in the baby spinach. Serve with grated parmesan cheese on top, and there you have it…the most wonderful and comforting creamy tortellini soup to keep you warm this winter!
Tip: Add Sugar to Reduce the Acidity
Tomatoes are naturally acidic, and this acidity is usually more intense when it comes to sauces or canned tomatoes. In order to counteract this acidity, just add a little bit of granulated sugar. Sugar cuts through the acidity and creates more balanced flavors. For this recipe, I add 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar total, but you can adjust it to taste as well, ¼ teaspoon at a time. Don’t worry, it won’t make the soup taste “sweet.”
Make Ahead and Freezing
This creamy tomato tortellini soup is make-ahead and freezer friendly, although you may need to make a few adjustments because frozen cooked tortellini and dairy don’t typically freeze well.
Here are my recommendations:
- Make the tomato soup, but don’t add the heavy cream, tortellini, or spinach yet. Freeze the tomato broth for up to 2 months.
- Thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat over the stovetop, and then cook the tortellini, heavy cream, and spinach as directed in the recipe.
Leftovers will last in the fridge for up to 3 days. The soup may thicken overnight, so add extra broth, half-and-half or heavy cream when reheating.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few substitution ingredient ideas:
- Canned diced tomatoes: You can also use canned whole tomatoes.
- Tortellini: I use fresh tortellini, but frozen works too. I love cheese tortellini, but any flavor or filling will work.
- Heavy cream: Half-and-half will work too. I would not recommend using milk, as it’s too thin and could affect the consistency and texture of the tomato soup.
As for add-ons, these are a few of my favorites. You may want to reduce the amount of tortellini as needed to account for the add-ons.
- Cooked crumbled sausage
- Fresh basil to taste
- Mushrooms
- Kale
Pairing and Serving Ideas
My favorite way to serve this creamy tomato tortellini soup is with bread. Try this Cheesy Garlic Bread, Garlic Herb Rolls, or Soft Honey Dinner Rolls. Grilled cheese is a great option too!
A simple house salad would also be a great pairing dish. For a fancier salad pairing, try this Fall Harvest Salad or Kale Apple Salad.
If you’re a fan of cozy soups, give these a try:
- Tomato Basil Bisque
- Creamy Turkey and Wild Rice Soup
- Hearty Beef and Barley Soup
- Lentil Soup with Kale
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Recipe FAQs
Yes, absolutely! You may need to cook it for an extra 1 to 2 minutes.
I would NOT recommend using milk, as it’s too thin and could affect the texture of the soup. Heavy cream is recommended for a creamier and richer consistency, but half-and-half is fine too.
Yes, but without the heavy cream, tortellini, and spinach. These ingredients don’t freeze well. Instead, make the tomato soup base and freeze it. Then, thaw in the fridge overnight and add in the cream, tortellini, and spinach following recipe directions below.
Over the stovetop or in the microwave oven. The soup may thicken once refrigerated, so add a splash of chicken broth, heavy cream, or half-and-half as needed.
Yes. If you’re making it ahead, I’d recommend adding the tortellini last, when you’re ready to serve. Just simmer it with the soup for 8 minutes or so while rehearing, until fully cooked through.
This recipe was published in 2020 and updated in January 2023 to include new photos and information.
Tips for Success
- Use an immersion blender. You can just blend the soup right in the pot. It’s so much easier, safer, and much more convenient than using a countertop blender.
- Adjust the consistency of the soup to taste, if needed, before adding the spinach. If too thick, add more broth, heavy cream, or even half-and-half. If too thin, stir in flour (dissolved in broth) as needed, simmering until thickened.
- For extra aromatic flavors, add fresh basil and blend it with the rest of the soup.
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Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, small diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth, plus more as needed
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes - preferably fire-roasted
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, or as needed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 cups fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
- ½ to ¾ cup heavy cream, plus more to taste
- 2 to 3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, loosely packed
- Shredded or grated parmesan cheese for topping
Instructions
- Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven (I use a 5-quart). Cook the onions until softened, about 6-8 minutes. Add garlic and Italian seasoning, cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Sprinkle the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring to coat. Add the broth and stir until the flour dissolves. Stir in the canned diced tomatoes, with all its juices. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 5-6 minutes, uncovered.
- Blend the soup using an immersion blender until smooth. If needed, add more broth. Note: if you don’t have an immersion blender, use a regular blender and return to the pot after blending. Do it in batches and carefully since the liquid will be hot (hot liquids tend to expand).
- Stir in the sugar to reduce the acidity of the tomatoes. If it's still too acidic, add a little bit more, ¼ teaspoon or less at a time, to taste. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the tortellini and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or according to package instructions, with the lid half-covered. Note: If using frozen tortellini, you may have to cook it a bit longer.
- Stir in heavy cream to taste and simmer for 1-2 minutes. If the soup is too thick, add more broth to taste. Then, add the spinach and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring. Top with parmesan cheese when serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe works best with fresh tortellini or frozen tortellini.
- I’d highly recommend using an immersion blender. It’s so much easier, safer, and more convenient than a regular blender. You can blend the soup right in the pot with zero mess.
- Leftovers and storage: Store for 3 days in the fridge. Reheat over the stovetop or in the microwave oven. The tortellini may get soggy with time, so you could always add it when reheating – simmer for 8 minutes until cooked through.
- Freezing: Freeze only the soup base (without the heavy cream, tortellini, or spinach) for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, reheat over the stovetop and incorporate the cream, tortellini, and spinach per recipe directions.
- Canned diced tomatoes: Canned whole tomatoes work too.
- Tortellini: I use cheese tortellini, but feel free to use any flavor.
- Add-ons: cooked crumbled sausage, mushrooms, kale, fresh basil.
Amy says
I made this soup tonight and it’s so good! The addition of the cream really pulls everything together.
*I found roasted tomatoes with garlic & Oregano so I used 1 can of this & 1 of regular tomatoes. I pureed everything in my vitamixer while I was cooking the garlic and onion and spices in olive oil. Came out perfect! Thank you for this recipe!
julie says
This sounds delicious and so easy! But does the pasta get mushy if you freeze it?
Tania says
Hi Julie! Yes, it will. Freezing instructions: Make the soup, but don’t add the heavy cream (dairy doesn’t freeze well). Then, freeze soup for up to 2 months. To reheat: Thaw soup overnight in fridge or add frozen into a pot and reheat. Then add tortellini and cook for about 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Finally, add the cream and simmer for another 1-2 minutes.
Victoria Blinkhorn says
Simple, quick, and yummy. I give this soup a 10/5 !!
Tania says
Thanks so much!
Margaret says
This recipe came out amazing! I added Italian sausage to it also. I think the spinach makes it. Everyone loved it! I will be making this again soon.
Tania says
Thanks so much!