Easy Tortellini Soup With Chicken Broth (Printable)

Creamy tortellini soup with chicken broth, vegetables, and cheese pasta—a comforting 40-minute Italian-inspired meal.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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 fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped

→ Broth and Dairy

06 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
07 - 1 cup heavy cream

→ Pasta

08 - 18 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini

→ Seasonings

09 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
10 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
11 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
12 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Garnish

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

# How-To Steps:

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, ground black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
04 - Add cheese tortellini and simmer according to package instructions, typically 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
05 - Lower the heat and add heavy cream. Simmer for 3 minutes until the soup reaches a creamy consistency.
06 - Stir in chopped spinach and cook until completely wilted, approximately 1 to 2 minutes.
07 - Taste the soup and adjust salt, pepper, and herbs as needed to achieve desired flavor balance.
08 - Ladle soup into individual bowls and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than you'd expect, which means weeknight dinners stop feeling like a burden.
  • The cream transforms simple broth into something that tastes like you spent hours on it, even though you didn't.
  • Every spoonful has something different—soft tortellini, sweet carrot, peppery spinach—so it never gets boring.
02 -
  • Don't skip the initial softening of the vegetables—rushing that step means you're missing out on the natural sweetness that makes this soup taste like it took effort.
  • Add the cream after the tortellini is almost done cooking, because if the broth boils too aggressively once the cream is in, it can separate and look unappetizing.
03 -
  • Use refrigerated tortellini instead of frozen or dried—the texture difference in a soup matters and fresh ones are tender instead of chewy.
  • Taste the broth before you add anything else so you know what you're working with, and don't be afraid to add more seasoning once the cream is in because flavors get muted by dairy.
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