Tortellini Soup With Chicken Broth (Printable Version)

Creamy tortellini soup with chicken broth, cheese-filled pasta, spinach, and vegetables 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 tsp dried Italian herbs
10 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
11 - 1/2 tsp salt
12 - 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

→ Garnish

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

# Directions:

01 - Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add a splash of olive oil, then sauté diced onions, sliced carrots, and 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, 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, add heavy cream, and simmer for 3 minutes.
06 - Stir in chopped spinach and cook until wilted, approximately 1 to 2 minutes.
07 - Taste the soup and adjust seasoning as needed.
08 - Ladle into bowls and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Ready in under 45 minutes, which means weeknight dinners suddenly feel less like a chore and more like an actual meal.
  • The cream turns everything luxuriously smooth without requiring any fancy techniques or ingredients you don't already have.
  • It's forgiving enough that you can swap vegetables based on what's in your crisper drawer and it still tastes intentional.
02 -
  • The cream can break or separate if the heat stays too high after you add it, so dial it back once it goes in—a gentle simmer is all you need.
  • Taste the soup before adding spinach, because once it goes in, the greens will cool everything down slightly and change how the seasoning hits your palate.
03 -
  • Use refrigerated tortellini from the cold case, not frozen—it cooks faster and has a better texture, and the difference is noticeable.
  • If you're making this vegetarian, vegetable broth works beautifully and you won't miss the chicken at all, especially once the cream goes in.
Go Back