I don’t ever need an excuse to make a pot of this Creamy Spinach Tortellini Soup. Seriously, it’s been 13 years since I first shared this recipe, and I still crave it year-round! It’s got a rich and creamy tomato-based broth, hearty cheese tortellini to sink your teeth into, a medley of veggies, and everything you could ever want from a cozy bowl of soup. Plus, the leftovers are awesome, so come lunchtime tomorrow, you’ll be really glad you made it. 😉
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“This is my new go-to last minute meal. My super-picky kid even says it’s his favorite soup. Thanks for making my life easier! :)”
Carrie
Easy Recipe for Tortellini Spinach Soup
This soup, at its core, is super basic, but the ingredients add up to big flavor. This creamy tortellini soup is one hearty bowl that will keep you FULL. It starts with a classic mix of onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, then builds with rich tomato paste and crushed tomatoes for depth. The cheese tortellini makes it extra satisfying, and that little splash of cream at the end brings it all together. It’s simple, filling, and exactly the kind of meal I love when I want something easy but still totally delicious.
Budget-Saving Tip
Tortellini is one of the most expensive ingredients in this soup, so make sure you’re shopping wisely! In most major grocery stores, you’ll be able to find this filled pasta in three places: dry pasta, the freezer section (near frozen bread), and fresh pasta in the dairy case. I find that the frozen tortellini is usually the best price, and you can even use half the amount called for in this recipe if you need to reduce the cost further. If using dry tortellini, you’ll need to boil it in the soup slightly longer, and you may need to add extra water.
Creamy Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion ($0.70)
- 2 carrots ($0.20)
- 2 ribs celery ($0.20)
- 4 garlic cloves ($0.16)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.44)
- 4 Tbsp tomato paste ($0.36)
- 28 oz. crushed tomatoes ((one can) $1.67 )
- 1½ tsp Italian seasoning ($0.15*)
- 4 cups vegetable broth ($0.52)
- 19 oz. cheese tortellini (frozen, $2.98**)
- ½ cup heavy cream ($0.82*** )
- 4 oz. fresh spinach ($1.20****)
- ¾ tsp salt ($0.04)
- ¼ tsp black pepper (freshly cracked, $0.02)
Instructions
- Dice the onion, carrot, and celery. Mince the garlic. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to a large soup pot along with the olive oil. Sauté over medium heat until the onions soften (about 5 minutes).
- Add the tomato paste and continue to stir and cook over medium heat for about three minutes more.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and vegetable broth to the pot. Stir to combine and dissolve any tomato paste off the bottom of the pot.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the soup up to a simmer. Let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the frozen tortellini to the soup and boil for about 3 minutes, or the recommended time on the package needed to cook the tortellini.
- Turn the heat off. Stir the heavy cream into the soup. Stir the fresh spinach into the soup until wilted.
- Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste (we added about ¾ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper).
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Tortellini Spinach Soup Step-By-Step Photos
Sauté the mirepoix: Start by dicing one yellow onion, two carrots, and two ribs of celery. Then, mince four cloves of garlic. Place the diced onion, carrot, celery, and minced garlic in a large soup pot with 2 Tbsp olive oil. Sauté the veggies over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the onions have softened.
Add 4 tablespoons of tomato paste to the pot and sauté this with the vegetables for three additional minutes.
Assemble the soup: Add one 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes, 1.5 tsp Italian seasoning blend, and 4 cups vegetable broth to the sautéed vegetables. Give everything a good stir to combine. Scrape up any tomato paste off the bottom of the pot as you stir.
Increase the heat to medium-high, and allow the soup to come up to a simmer. Simmer the soup for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the pasta: Pour in one 19 oz. package of frozen cheese tortellini to the soup and continue to simmer for 3 minutes (or as long as needed according to the package directions. This can vary from brand to brand).
Make it creamy: Turn the heat off and, if using, stir ½ cup heavy cream into the soup.
Add the spinach: Stir in about 4 large handfuls of fresh spinach. Allow the spinach to wilt from the heat of the soup.
Serve: Give the soup a taste and adjust the salt or other seasonings to your liking (I added ¾ tsp salt and ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper).
I like my tortellini soup garnished with a light sprinkle of Parmesan and some freshly grated black pepper. 😋
What Else Can I Add?
Italian sausage makes a great addition to this soup if you want something a little more meaty, or you could even sauté some bacon in the pot before the vegetables for even more richness. Want to make it extra cheesy? I’d sprinkle some grated or shredded Parmesan on top of each bowl just before serving.
Serving Suggestions
I love serving an air fryer grilled cheese with this soup. The sandwich comes together quickly while the soup simmers and is a total classic with anything tomato-based. Breadsticks are soft, buttery, and perfect for dunking, while my easy focaccia adds a slightly fancy touch without much fuss. And for something fresh, a simple green salad with Italian dressing balances the richness of the soup just right.
Storage & Reheating
After cooking, divide the tortellini soup into single-serving portions and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days. Just keep in mind the pasta may soak up some of the soup the longer it sits. For longer storage, you can transfer the containers to the freezer after they’re fully chilled for up to 3 months. To reheat, microwave on high until the soup is heated through, or reheat in a saucepot over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
More Delicious Soup Recipes
Our Creamy Spinach Tortellini Soup recipe was originally published 9/2/12. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 9/12/25.
I made this last night and will definitely be making it again. It came together very quickly and my husband and I both loved it! It was surprisingly flavorful for so few ingredients. We had it with a simple green salad. This recipe is a keeper!
Why is it always heavy cream in your recipes? Can it be substituted with lighter cream (12% or 18%)?
Turned out really good, I added a pinch of salt and 2 tsp basil, plus a little more cream. I don’t know if the celery and carrots added to it, but why not throw in the extra veggies :)
Carrots, celery, and onion are the 3 components of the French mirepoix, the foundation for nearly all French sourced soups and stews. Leave out the carrots and celery and you will notice that the flavor is not as full. Bay leaf is the 4th flavor in most of these inexpensive and tasty meals. Plus, as you mention, they add extra veggies to your diet. For this delicious soup, I also add 1/4 dry red wine. I think your addition of basil was a really good idea–I used it, and enjoyed the extra spark it gave to the soup.
Enjoyed this one! Made as written and served with crusty bread. Thanks!
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but plan to. I’ve searched for a non-creamy version & saw others requesting a previous one, so wonder if it’s possible to still get that.
Sausage and tortellini soup recipe link below. I’ve made this recipe multiple times and it always turns out really well.
https://www.budgetbytes.com/sausage-tortellini-soup/
Cooking for a picky husband and child is challenging when I will eat almost anything put in front of me, and I drool and make yummy noises when I browse budget bytes. So I made a few family preference modifications: left out carrots and subbed in 1/2 red bell pepper I had, added 1/2 pound ground Italian sausage as Beth suggested, and cut the tortellini in half. (I felt it still had plenty!) I also add spinach to the bottom of my bowl before adding my soup. Then I made grilled cheese sandwiches to go with it. A grown up tomato soup! It was great and everyone enjoyed it!! (Though child picked around a few veggies I missed when making her bowl *sigh) thanks for another win, Beth and Team! I sure appreciate you all!
Delicious! Didn’t have fresh spinach so I used some frozen chopped spinach when I added the tortellini. Added some red pepper flakes and also 2 tsp. of balsamic vinegar. I like to finish tomato-based recipes with an acid—vinegar/lime/lemon.
Can this be frozen after making? I used fresh ravioli instead of tortellini since that was what I had. Thanks!
Yes, you can!
Extremely delicious BASE RECIPE I had to add a TON more seasoning… salt and pepper, a little chicken bouillon powder, adobo, and bay leaves. Also in my area the ingredients were a bit more expensive than listed, although i’d say the result was worth it.
I substituted fresh spinach for frozen and just added it before adding the half and half which I subbed for the heavy cream. I decided to add carrot slices in addition to the diced carrots because i love carrots and felt like I wanted something else chunky besides just the tortellini.
This is an extremely easy to follow recipe with a delicious result. I had fun making it and will make it again for sure! Thank you
This was a hit even with a picky 9 year old! Can’t explain it, but my kiddo loves it and so did I! I used beef broth because that’s what we had, and used a little more spinach just to finish the bag. But otherwise, it is a lovely dish. will make again!
This was the first time me or my husband has ever tried tortellini and it was a winner! Made the recipe exactly as written. Wouldn’t make any changes. Perfect for a comforting weeknight meal. I found tortellini at my local Sam’s Club for only $9.78 (48 oz)! I used what I needed and just froze the rest for next time.
super delicious! I added some turkey sausage for more protein.
The soup was only soup the first night. It turned into some stew like pasta dish after it sat. Didn’t taste quite like I expected, but was definitely not a proper tomato soup.
It’s not supposed to be a “proper tomato soup” though…
Indeed, it is spinach tortellini soup! And it is lovely.
Pasta does tend to soak up liquid if sitting in it for any long amount of time, so if you anticipate needing to refrigerate leftovers, an easy fix is to cook and store the tortellini separately, just adding it into the soup itself when you make up your individual bowls. No risk of it bloating or going gummy that way, though I confess that’s never been enough of an issue for me to warrant the extra trouble of keeping them apart – just offering a potential solution to those who might find it useful.
This is a great soup! I was surprised to find that I liked it more the second day. I thought the pasta would be mushy but it wasn’t! The flavors mingled a bit better. I would definitely increase the seasonings, maybe double them.
This absolutely hit the spot – rich and creamy but also packed with veggies. Even my husband, who is not a soup guy, went back for seconds. Might be my new favorite way to have tortellini! I subbed zucchini for celery because I happened to have it on hand and used frozen spinach. And I added a bunch of garlic and doubled the seasonings.