Creamy Vegetable Tortellini Soup (Printable)

Tender cheese tortellini in creamy broth with fresh vegetables—ready in 40 minutes for a satisfying meal.

# 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 medium 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, or to taste
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

# How-To Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, 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, dried 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. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs if desired. Serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in less than 40 minutes, which means you can make it on a weeknight without losing your mind.
  • The cream transforms simple broth and vegetables into something that tastes like you spent hours on it, but you didn't.
  • Every spoonful delivers both comfort and actual nutrition—the vegetables disappear into something creamy and delicious.
02 -
  • Don't skip the step where you sauté the onion, carrots, and celery first—this builds flavor depth that makes the entire soup taste more developed and intentional.
  • Add the cream to a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil, or it can separate slightly and lose its smooth, silky texture.
  • Fresh spinach added at the very end stays bright and tender; if you add it too early, it becomes dark and loses its character.
03 -
  • Use refrigerated tortellini instead of dried—they cook faster and have a tender texture that makes the soup feel luxurious and complete.
  • Finish the soup with a crack of fresh black pepper and good Parmesan cheese; these small details make people think you're a better cook than you actually are.
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