Easy Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

20 minutes is all it takes to get this hearty Tomato Tortellini Soup on the dinner table tonight! The ultimate vegetarian comfort food, this tortellini soup is loaded with crushed tomatoes, cheesy stuffed pasta, and garnished with shaved Parmesan.

You Will Love This

• It’s quick and easy! Simple ingredients. Minimal prep work. No fancy kitchen gadgets. And zero kitchen skills required. This tomato soup with tortellini is the easiest and tastiest tomato soup recipe you’ll find – AND it can be made in just 20 minutes!
• It’s a family favorite! This one-pot tomato tortellini soup is one of those recipes that you’ll want to keep in your back pocket for a last-minute dinner because you know your family is going to love it. As long as you’ve got these pantry ingredients on hand you can have this dinner on the table in no time! We like to keep fresh tortellini in the freezer at all times so we can throw easy dinners like 20 Minute Baked Tortellini, Easy Ravioli Lasagna, or Butternut Squash Ravioli, or this homemade tomato soup at a moment’s notice. 
• The ingredient list is short and sweet! This meal takes classic tomato soup and kicks it up a notch with a creamy, herby, tomato base (literally made from just cream, herbs, and tomatoes!) and your favorite cheesy tortellini. Garnish with fresh basil and shaved Parmesan and dinner is done! If you love homemade tomato soup be sure to check out my Creamy 30 Minute Broccoli Cheese Soup, Vegan Chickpea Gnocchi Soup, or my Vegan Potato Leek Soup.

Ingredients

• Olive Oil – This is our family’s favorite olive oil. Try to find something cold-pressed and organic.
• Yellow Onion – You could also use white onion if that’s what you’ve got on hand. I prefer the slightly sweet flavor of a yellow onion for this soup though.
• Garlic – Fresh is best, but garlic powder will work in a pinch. I’d recommend starting with ½-1 teaspoon of garlic powder in place of the sliced garlic
• Dried Herbs – I like to use dried sage, dried oregano, and dried thyme. You could use Italian seasoning in place of these three spices if that’s all you’ve got on hand. You can also use fresh herbs in place of the dried if you prefer for this tomato tortellini soup recipe.
• Sugar – I like to add just a touch of sugar to my tomato sauces and soups to balance out the acidity from the tomatoes.
• Crushed Tomatoes – You could also use tomato sauce (for a smoother texture) or diced tomatoes (for a chunkier texture) in place of the crushed tomatoes.
• Veggie Broth – You could also use chicken stock or chicken broth in place of the veggie broth if you’re not worried about this tomato soup being vegetarian.
• Refrigerated Cheese Tortellini – This is the key! This is our family’s favorite brand for this soup but any refrigerated tortellini will work. Try using spinach or mushroom filled tortellini for a different flavor.
• Heavy Cream – This can also be called whipping cream. Half and half would also work in its place, but the texture will be slightly less creamy.
• Basil Pesto – You can use my quick and easy homemade pesto or store-bought is just fine too!

Instructions

Saute onion in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic, sage, oregano, thyme, and saute for another minute.

Add sugar, tomatoes, vegetable broth, tortellini, and pesto along with a pinch of salt and pepper and bring to a gentle simmer.

Then reduce heat to medium-low and gently simmer until tortellini is al dente.

Remove from heat and stir in the heavy cream. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley and enjoy! Feel free to add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little bit of heat!

Tips

• Don’t overcook the pasta! There is nothing worse than mushy tortellini, so make sure you take a bite here and there throughout the simmering process so that you can pull it off the heat as soon as it is al dente.
• Al dente means that your pasta should still have a bit of a bite to it. Ask any Italian (or any pasta lover, really) and they will tell you that al dente is the only way to cook your pasta. Most pasta directions will include cook times for firmer (or al dente) or more tender pasta. Always err on the side of al dente. You can always cook it longer, but you can’t go back once it’s overcooked.
• Read your tortellini cooking instructions. Some tortellini cooks in 4 minutes, others take 7-8 minutes. Read the directions on your package and take into account that since you’re gently simmering the ravioli with other ingredients (instead of just boiling it in water) you’ll need to add a couple minutes of cook time. Again, tasting the tortellini is your best bet here!
• If you prefer a super creamy tomato tortellini soup, add a bit more cream! A little extra cream can go a long way to making an ultra-smooth soup and this recipe lends itself well to an extra splash of heavy cream!
• You could also use an immersion blender to blend all the ingredients before adding the tortellini so that the texture of the soup is super smooth and creamy!
• If you want to add some protein, try adding browned Italian sausage. Try spicy Italian sausage for an extra kick!

FAQ

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This post was originally published in November 2018. It was updated in February 2020 to include process shots, step-by-step instructions and tips for making the best tomato tortellini soup every single time!