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'll 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 Sage, Oregano, and Thyme - You could use Italian seasoning in place of these three spices if that’s all you’ve got on hand.
- 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 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 and fresh chopped parsley and enjoy!
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 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!
FAQ
Unfortunately, no. The tortellini doesn't hold up well to the freezing process and will turn to mush once it's thawed. This soup tastes best when served right away. It will stay good in the fridge for a couple days, but the pasta does continue to soak up the liquid from the soup so after a couple days the texture of the tortellini will be less desirable.
Yes. Tortellini is a cheese-filled pasta, but it can also be filled with other things like meat and veggies. Spinach is one of our family's favorite tortellini fillings. Spinach tortellini would be a delicious addition to this creamy tomato soup!
Normally I'd suggest serving grilled cheese with any kind of tomato soup. But since this soup is already loaded with cheesy tortellini, I prefer to serve it with a green salad or a crusty loaf of bread. Honestly, this dish is so filling you really don't need any accompaniments!
Of course! Feel free to use whatever you have on hand, just make sure you adjust the cooking time after you've added the pasta. Look at the package directions and taste the pasta a few times throughout the cooking process and then remove it from the heat when it's cooked al dente.
Family Favorite Soups
- Vegan Curry Ramen Soup
- Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Veggie Loaded Beer Cheese Soup
- Vegan Tomato Soup
- Vegan White Bean Kale Soup
Creamy Tuscan Tomato Tortellini Soup
The ultimate comfort food, this tomato tortellini soup is loaded with cheesy tortellini and plenty of tomatoes!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish - Soup
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, petite diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried sage
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 (28 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes
- 2.5 cups vegetable broth
- 20 oz. refrigerated cheese tortellini
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup basil pesto
- Kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
Garnish:
- grated Parmesan
- fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
- Add onion along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute, stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes.
- 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 to the pot.
- Turn heat up to medium-high, cover, and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Then reduce heat to medium-low and gently simmer, covered for 6-8 minutes or until tortellini is cooked al dente.
- Remove from heat and stir in the heavy cream.
- Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan and fresh chopped parsley and enjoy!
Notes
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 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!
Keywords: tomato soup with tortellini, tomato basil tortellini soup, creamy tortellini soup
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!
Emily
I'd love to make this recipe. Any suggestions for adding ground beef or sausage? Would I need to increase vegetable broth, etc? I was planning on cooking meat separately and then adding at the end.
Thank you in advance!
Kylie
Yes! You could definitely add either! I'd recommend adding a bit more veggie broth and I think that's a great idea to cook the meat separately and then add it in the last few minutes of cooking! Can't wait to hear how it turns out, Emily. 🙂
Blair
This is my kids favorite!
★★★★★
Holly
The was easy, fast, and flavorful. Will do this again, for sure.
★★★★★
Kylie
I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed this soup, Holly! Thanks for leaving a review 🙂
Jennifer M
Have you ever frozen this soup? It's delicious but don't know how the pasta would handle freeze and reheat.
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
Great question...You're right about the pasta not being able to handle being frozen and then reheated. It would definitely end up too mushy. You could try freezing just the soup portion and then adding refrigerated tortellini when reheating though!
Jennifer Mitchell
This was so easy and turned out great! 5 out of 5 picky kids ate this and enjoyed it. I packed leftovers for school lunches and they loved that, too!
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
WOW! 🙂 SO glad to hear that everyone liked it! This is definitely one of our family's favorites! Thanks Jennifer!
Concetta Lowell
I made this last night and it was a huge hit! My husband added crushed red pepper to his for an extra kick!
Midwest Foodie
So glad to hear that Concetta! Good call with the pinch of red pepper - my husband would have appreciated that as well 🙂