Creamy Tuscan Tortellini Soup {Quick and Easy}
This quick and easy creamy tuscan tortellini soup is packed with hearty, good-for-you ingredients and lightened up (no heavy cream!). The result? One amazingly delicious soup!
I think I’ve mentioned this about a million times, but I love it when you guys send me your favorite recipes.
It’s probably like my favorite thing in the history of ever.
Not only does it make me feel like we’re BFFs (bc BFFs share all their greatest things with each other, right?), but your recipe shares have become some of my most-loved recipes…and some of the most popular recipes on my blog.
This creamy tuscan tortellini soup came to me by way of the sister of one of my awesome roommates in college (ahem, 20 years ago). She sent me this recipe a while ago, I adapted the guts out of it (always and of course), and it has quickly become a favorite comforting, hearty soup around here. It is quick and easy and so, so yummy.
Good for you ingredients
This tortellini soup is loaded with good-for-you ingredients.
- Carrots
- Tomatoes
- Spinach
- White beans
But what makes it really special is that it comes together fast. Yes, even despite the lengthy-looking ingredient list.
Because tortellini cooks so quickly, other than a little chopping and whisking, most of the soup ingredients are dumped in and simmered together. It’s dreamy.
Tortellini Options
I usually use the Kirkland brand of refrigerated cheese tortellini from Costco. It comes in 22-24 ounce packages.
This recipe calls for about 10 ounces of tortellini, but for a thicker, heartier soup, go ahead and double the tortellini (same goes for the beans, as noted in the ingredient list). I often throw the whole Costco package in this soup (just one of them, they come in a two pack).
It might seem like tortellini overkill. But when you a) have kids that love tortellini more than life and fight over the little tender pillows of pasta as they dish up their soup and b) quite enjoy thick, hearty soups, doubling the pasta is a no brainer.
This soup gets much thicker as it cools, especially if leftovers are refrigerated. If you want it to stay soup-like, stay on the safe side and stick with the 9-10 ounces.
I’m just giving you options.
Lightened up creaminess
I nixed the heavy cream in this recipe and instead, I use a quick blend of lowfat milk + flour to slightly thicken the soup and add creaminess. I add the milk mixture after the tortellini have cooked for a few minutes. Those babies cook fast!
Toss in the beans, cooked chicken and spinach. A few more minutes of low simmering, and this soup is ready to go. I’m telling you, it’s super quick. And super good.
This soup is crazy delicious. Right up there with my two other favorite tortellini soups:
And the leftovers, although definitely thicker and decidedly less soupy, are amazing.
Can I make it in the Instant Pot or Slow Cooker?
This is a great question and one I know will be asked. I haven’t tried either…yet. This creamy tuscan tortellini soup is so quick and easy on the stovetop, I haven’t experimented making it in the Instant Pot or slow cooker, but I definitely think it could be adapted to either.
We finish each serving with a healthy sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and then dig in.
I’ve served this quick and easy creamy tuscan tortellini soup to company, taken it in to a neighbor who was recovering from surgery, and made it just for our family on a busy weeknight.
Each and every time = rave reviews. It has a little something for everyone. 🙂
What to Serve With This
One Year Ago: The Best Spinach Artichoke Dip
Two Years Ago: Easy Homemade Broccoli Cheese Soup {New and Improved}
Three Years Ago: Peppermint Bark White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake
Four Years Ago: Overnight Cinnamon and Sugar Sweet Rolls
Five Years Ago: Cinnamon Caramels {Chocolate Dipped If You Dare}
Six Years Ago: Homemade Thin Mint Cookies
Seven Years Ago: White Chipper Chocolate Cookies
Eight Years Ago: Hot Pizza Dip Bites
Creamy Tuscan Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup finely diced onion
- 1 cup diced carrots, about 3 medium carrots, peeled
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 4 cups chicken broth, I use low-sodium
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt, I use coarse, kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 10 ounces cheese tortellini (see note)
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 to 2 cans (15-ounces each) Great Northern, cannellini, or other white beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups cooked diced or shredded chicken
- 2-3 cups lightly packed, torn or coarsely chopped fresh spinach
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- In a 6- or 8-quart pot, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onions and carrots. Cover the pot and cook/sweat the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds.
- Add the broth, crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and add the tortellini. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the tortellini are mostly tender (they’ll continue to cook for a few minutes in the next step).
- Whisk or blend the flour and milk together until smooth and add it to the soup, stirring constantly. Add the beans, chicken and spinach. Bring the soup to a low simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and all the ingredients are heated through and the tortellini are tender.
- Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top, if desired.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: inspired by a recipe a reader, Jenny R. sent me (thanks, Jenny!)
Be great after Thanksgiving using leftover turkey instead of chicken! And I’m all for using straight cream rather than milk and flour! Looking forward to making this!!!
Has anyone subbed arugula for the spinach?
Could I make this in the crock pot ahead of time and just add the tortellini‘s a little bit before serving?
I haven’t tried that, but it stands a good chance of working well. Good luck if you try it.
Flavor is great! I skipped the milk, so I mixed up the order a bit, but I added one can of beans with the tomatoes and then used my immersion blender to make it creamy that way, then added the tortellini, followed by the second can of beans and the remaining ingredients.
My picky eaters actually picked out the tortellini and used bread to dip into the broth. So I’m considering this a win! I loved the heartiness of the soup! Husband isn’t a fan of sausage in soups so this was a good alternative!
My picky eaters actually picked out the tortellini and used bread to dip into the broth. So I’m considering this a win! I loved the heartiness of the soup! Husband isn’t a fan of sausage in soups so this was a good alternative!
What a wonderful recipe! It came together so quickly! I was lazy and didn’t want to cook chicken, so I used some Italian Turkey Sausage. Ha! 🙂 Delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Yum! Just made this for my meal prep for the week (minus the chicken)! This one is definitely a repeater… thank you!
This recipe is a family favorite! The great news is that under the circumstances, we made it with a bag of frozen tortellini (19oz), a large can of chicken, and milk made from powdered milk, and I’ve used dried onions and dried spinach before, as well, making it an option for those of us who are living from the pantry these days. Delicious! Thank you.
This was one of the most amazing soups I’ve ever eaten! I took one taste and had to double the recipe! It was too good not to share with neighbors and friends! Thank you for another great recipe!
Thank you so much, Shannon!
Just so delicious, and easy. Gosh, you’re the best!
Used double the tortellini (straight from frozen), two cans of beans, and maybe two extra cups of broth. Perfect, and boatloads to last us.
This was the best best best. My whole family loved it! I ended up using a cup of cream instead of the milk and flour mixture and it was great. Thanks, Mel!
This was the perfect soup for a cold day. It was more filling than most soups. My whole family loved it!
Love this soup!! Family favorite so much that I even make it during summer when I usually try to get away from soup recipes. I skip the chicken for a vegetarian option and double the beans and spinach and add a side of ciabatta bread. You cant go wrong with this one! Thanks!!!
Delicious recipe! I subbed ground turkey sausage for the chicken because that’s what I had on hand. Next time I will add more tortellini. Thanks Mel!
Thanks for the review, Melanie!
A quick and delicious meal. I left out the chicken (I was feeling lazy) and it was plenty filling with the beans and tortellini.
Delicious! I used a 20 Oz pack of cheese/spinach tortellini, skipped the chicken, and used 2 cans of beans. This would easily feed 8 or more! So good. We are having an “atmospheric river” up here near Seattle (basically HUGE amount of rain) so this recipe was perfect for tonight. Thank you!
Thanks, Julie!
My family loved this! My son, who groans whenever he hears that some kind of soup is for dinner, took a bite and said, “Mmmm! This is good!” That was a good Mom moment for me. Delicious, healthy, and simple to make. Thank you so much!
That IS a good moment! Thank you for sharing!
I made this for dinner last night and my family couldn’t get enough. It was so yummy and so easy to throw together. I did omitted the chicken and doubled the beans like others comments suggested and it was still super hearty. Thanks for another delicious weeknight meal!
Thanks so much, Ginger!
Thanks, Ginger!!
Great recipe! We doubled the beans and went without the chicken and it worked great as a veggie meal. Might stick in some chicken sausage next time to change it up again. Good for a quick weekday meal!
Thanks, Jody!
Definitely going to make this again
Thanks, Becca!
I made this soup tonight and even my pickiest eater had some. I didn’t add the chicken and it was still just as delicious. Thank you for another great meal idea!
Thanks, Becca!
I made this last night and the whole family (husband, 5 year old, 3 year old) loved it! It was really delicious and super easy. My husband said he felt like we were out for a nice Italian dinner! Thanks Mel!
Love hearing that – thank you, Laura!
Made this last night using leftover turkey breast from Thanksgiving. It was delicious. The only thing I might change is adding a little crushed red pepper to the seasoning. I also think it would be fine without added meat. But I love the sausage idea too. Hot Italian sausage would give it a little kick. It was so quick to cook on the stove I think doing it another way (pressure cooker or slow cooker) would not really save time. I made sure I had all the pieces and parts chopped, measured and ready to go and I finished it really quickly on the stove. Thanks for a great recipe Mel.
I love your thoughts on adapting this – red pepper would definitely add to the flavor!
Please delete my previous comment. Upon rereading the recipe, I found what I was looking for. Now I feel silly. Thanks!
How much broth and what kind does this recipe take? I didn’t see it listed in the ingredient list, but the directions say to add the broth. Was hoping to make this for dinner tonight.
I made this for dinner, and my family ate the entire pot of soup. I threw a few carrots in the blender for a rough chop and added those to the broth first. After 5 minutes, I added the dry tortellini from the pasta section. Also, I didn’t add the chicken and it was still delicious. Thanks for a quick and yummy dinner in fewer than 30 minutes.
I love so much when you guys detail your changes! Glad you loved this, Sheila – thanks!
Made this soup tonight, and my entire family raved about it! Creamy, hearty, and just plain delicious!! We are definitely adding this soup to our winter soup rotation!! Loved it!
Yay, Jennifer!
Love everything about this soup. Actually I’ve loved everything I’ve tried from Mel’s Kitchen and I’ve tried a lot. Thank you so much Mel for your inspiration to try new things and all your delicious recipes. Happy holidays to you and your family.
Thanks so much, Darlene! Happy holidays to you, too!
This looks so yummy, can’t wait to try it. On a side note, did you know that Dragonwood has a new “sibling,” Dragonrealm? Another thing I’m excited to try. 🙂
Serious?? I’ll be checking that out ASAP. 🙂
Mel, how well do you think this will freeze? It is only me in my household so I either have to halve recipes or freeze.
Also, could sausage be added? A small amount just to taste perhaps? Maybe Kielbasa chunks? Cooked before adding.
What address do I send a recipe to you?
Hi Linda, I think you could definitely add sausage – sounds delicious! I think it would freeze ok – tortellini I’ve frozen in the past tends to be super soft after thawing (even a little mushy) so maybe undercook it just a bit if you know it will be frozen? You can email me at contact@melskitchencafe.com
I’ve got some turkey breast we cooked yesterday- would it work to dice that up and put in?
Oh yes, for sure!
I can’t wait to try this! It looks amazing!
Ooooh…it’s supposed to be cold and gross this week – this sounds perfect! Have you tried it with frozen tortellini? I have a bag in my freezer that are calling my name! 🙂 THANKS!
I haven’t, but I bet it will work great!
I had some frozen tortellini and it worked beautifully!! Took an extra minute or two for it to cook, but delish!!
Awesome!
I feel so famous! 🙂 Can’t wait to try it with your adaptations! It is still a huge family favorite!
Haha! Thanks for the recipe, Jenny!
I look at the tortellini every time I go to Costco. I’ve never had tortellini but it looks so good to me, my hubs doesn’t love pasta though so I really don’t make it for dinner very often. Looking at the ingredients though I think he would enjoy the rest of this soup, I think it’s finally time to stop just staring and wishing/wondering about the tortellini! Can’t wait to try it!
Let me know what you think if you give it a try, Misty!
Do you think this would freeze well? Or not bc of the cream? I’m trying to stock the freezer for easy meals. 🙂 thanks!
I think the creaminess in the soup would freeze fine – the tortellini will probably be really soft (and maybe slightly mushy) after thawing and reheating. At least that’s been my experience with freezing cooked tortellini. But you could undercook the tortellini if you know you’re going to freeze the soup.
I’ve made your two sausage tortellini recipes numerous times. I usually take my mom food throughout the week and I know she’ll love this. Can’t wait to try it! Thanks!
I hope she does, Teresa! 🙂