Tortellini Soup
Published October 25, 2023
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
- Total Time
- 55 minutes
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- 40 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (1 ½ cups)
1 large carrot, diced (1 cup)
2 celery ribs, diced (1 cup)
4 large garlic cloves, minced (2 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried oregano
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus more to taste
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
4 cups (1 quart) vegetable broth
1 (8- to 9-ounce) package refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini
¼ cup heavy cream
4 cups baby spinach (about 3 ounces)
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
Chopped fresh basil or parsley, for serving
Grated Parmesan, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)
32 grams carbs; 29 milligrams cholesterol; 258 calories; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 12 grams fat; 5 grams fiber; 891 milligrams sodium; 8 grams protein; 6 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender-crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary, oregano, crushed red pepper, 1 teaspoon salt (or 1 ½ teaspoons if you’re using low-sodium broth) and ½ teaspoon black pepper; cook until the garlic is fragrant, 1 minute.
- Step 2
Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until it begins to form brown bits on the bottom of the pot, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes (and their juices) and broth, scraping up the bits on the bottom of the pan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Step 3
Add the tortellini, return to a simmer, and cook until pasta is tender, 2 to 3 minutes. (If using frozen, it might take an extra minute.) Add the heavy cream and spinach and cook for 1 minute, stirring often until the spinach is wilted. Off the heat, add the vinegar. Season with more salt and pepper, if needed.
- Step 4
Serve hot, topped with basil, Parmesan, and more black or crushed red pepper, if desired. Soup will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer (see Tip). The tortellini will continue to absorb liquid as the soup sits, so you may need to add a splash of broth when reheating.
To freeze soup, cool to room temperature in the pot, then transfer to airtight containers. Thaw overnight in the fridge, or run the container under hot tap water until the soup releases. Reheat in a pot on the stove, partially covered, until the soup comes to a simmer, adding more water or broth to thin if necessary.
Private Notes
Comments
I find that cooking the tortellini in the soup absorbs more of the broth than I prefer,, especially if I am not serving it right away or have leftovers, so I cook the tortellini separately. My family loves this soup and it is adaptable to whatever veg you want to add to it.
I make a very similar recipe but in less than half the time. Just use your favorite brand of jarred or leftover homemade pasta sauce, preferably a sauce with chunkier bits of tomato. One part sauce, two parts vegetable broth and seasoning to taste. I add spinach and white beans along with the tortellini. If you have leftover grilled Italian sausage to slice up and throw in, that’s great too. Grated pecorino Romano sprinkled on top. I serve it with warm bread and maybe a light salad.
Frequently make recipe much like this. Usually make double or triple recipe and freeze 2-4 meals worth. Have found 1) tortellini in the soup does not freeze well and 2) warming up frozen soup results in tortellini being overcooked. So generally split soup up (frozen v. non-frozen) and don't add the tortellini to the frozen portions. Instead add tortellini to the frozen portions only when those portions are used. And I do cook the tortellini separately before adding to the soup.
short stock so added half homemade veg stock, 1 tsp refrigerated chicken bouillon and water, deglazed after tomato paste with red wine... as it was open. added zuchinni halfway between veg simmering and spinach. balsamic finish with parsley and purple basil. ❤️ would be great with sliced Italian sausage
Loved the base, but not the tortellini. For leftovers, omitted it (had cooked separately based on suggestions in the comments) and served with sourdough grilled cheese instead - amazing. Added chopped chicken sausage for extra protein, but next time would try crumbled meat or beans; something about the sausage texture didn’t quite work with the dish
We wanted to like this, truly…even after reading all the great comments (add bay leaf, corn, beans, zucchini, splash of shoyu, serve with beer bread) and it still fell short. Not awful, just..meh. DO use your largest stock pot, makes a tremendous amount. We froze 7 cups; will be good to have in back stock when cooking is just too much. Thanks NYT.