My easy vegetarian tortellini soup recipe is made with tasty spinach and ricotta tortellini, loads of healthy veggies and a good handful of spinach. A hearty and filling vegetarian soup recipe that always goes down well with my family.
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Tortellini is always popular here
My kids really love tortellini. Spinach and ricotta is their preferred flavour, although they'll eat any. For some reason they much prefer it to ravioli - no idea why, just one of those kid quirks I guess. At least they all like the same thing for once - finding a meal that all three of my children like can be a challenge.
It may say tortellini on the packet but they like to call it filled pasta. Actually Little S says "feeled pasta".
I love toddler pronunciation - he's talking a lot about a fabulous space ship from Star Wars called the Lemenium Falcon too. But that's another story. Back to the pasta...
Sauces to serve with tortellini
Helping picky eaters to try new foods
Taking a favourite food and serving it in a slightly different way is a good tactic for encouraging picky eaters to try something new. On their picky eating courses feeding experts Jo Cormack and Simone Emery both recommend trying this.
So I took the tortellini and made it into a soup.
At first there was reluctance at trying this tomato and spinach tortellini soup. I often get away with spinach as the kids can't differentiate between the leafy green vegetable and herbs such as basil when it's mixed into a sauce or soup.
It wasn't so much the green bits that made them reluctant as the fact that a favourite dish just looked different.
But once they'd decided to try it they all enjoyed it - so much so that R had it in his Thermos* for his packed lunch the next day.
Other vegetarian soup recipes
- Pea and mint soup made with frozen peas
- Spinach and split pea soup
- Roasted tomato pesto soup
- Spinach, borlotti bean and vegetable soup
- Vegetarian minestrone soup
- Squash and sweetcorn chowder
- Homemade vegan tomato and basil soup (on my vegan food blog Cook Veggielicious)
- Jerusalem artichoke and celeriac soup (on my vegan food blog Cook Veggielicious)
- Spiced butternut squash and sweet potato soup (on my vegan food blog Cook Veggielicious)
- Vegan miso udon noodle soup
Pin vegetarian tortellini soup for later
How to make vegetarian tortellini soup
- Tortellini soup is easy to make. I simply created a soup base with onions, garlic, carrots, pepper, tomatoes and vegetable stock and added frozen spinach (you can use fresh if you prefer) and tortellini at the end.
- It's important when making vegetable tortellini soup to only add the tortellini at the end of the cooking time or it will become overcooked and soak up all the liquid from the soup.
- We used spinach and ricotta tortellini for our veggie tortellini soup - you could experiment with other flavours if you have a favourite type. Vegan tortellini would also be great here.
If you've made this recipe please a leave a star rating and comment below. Thank you
Please do not reproduce this recipe without permission.
Vegetarian tortellini soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 medium carrot diced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 litre hot vegetable stock
- 2 packets of fresh spinach and ricotta tortellini 600g total
- 100 g frozen spinach or 1 large handful shredded fresh spinach leaves
- Small handful basil leaves
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook on a low heat, stirring often until soft and golden brown. Add the garlic, cook for a minute, then add the diced carrot and pepper. Cover the pan with a lid and sweat on the lowest heat until soft. This should take 10-15 minutes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, lemon juice, balsamic and oregano.
- Bring to the boil then add 1 litre vegetable stock and the frozen spinach. Bring to the boil then simmer and cook until the spinach has defrosted.
- Blend the soup at this stage if you want a smooth soup.
- Add the tortellini to the soup and cook for 3 minutes or longer if the packet instructions say a different time (dried might take 10-12 minutes).
- Serve with fresh basil on top and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Notes
- If preparing in advance don't add the tortellini until you're ready to serve as it will soak up all the liquid and become overcooked. Simply reheat the soup and add the pasta when you're ready to eat - fresh tortellini will only take 2-3 minutes to cook.
- Nutritional information is approximate and is intended as a guide only.
Nutrition
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Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie
My kids are big fans of spinach and ricotta tortellini - or as they are known in our house 'pasta parcels'!! I love that tip to encourage fussy eaters to try new foods by presenting favourite foods in a different way - thankfully I am quite fortunate with mine and they are not too fussy (they are just grateful when the food I serve them is 'normal' rather than some wacky experiment of mine - haha!!), but it's one to bear in mind, for sure. Thanks for linking it up to #CookBlogShare. Eb x
Mandy Mazliah
I love how many different names a simple food item like tortellini can have - pasta parcels is a great name!
Nickki
This soup looks so delicious and warming. I’ve never tried tortellini in soup before so I’ll have to give it a try soon 🙂
Mandy Mazliah
It really works Nickki - hope you love it x
Corina Blum
Spinach and ricotta is one of my favourite tortellini filling too! I like the idea of serving something familiar but in a different way to encourage picky eaters.
Mandy Mazliah
Thanks Corina - I've been trying to do just that as often as possible x
Anna
what a great idea to turn the tortellini into a soup! Genius and a must try!
Mandy Mazliah
Ah thanks Anna! Hope you enjoy it x
Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food
"Feeled pasta" is so cute!!! I just love tortellini: it's such great comfort food. And this soup has me feeling cozy just looking at your beautiful photos!
Mandy Mazliah
Thanks so much Michelle! I'm really going to miss his cute mispronunciation of words x
Jane Saunders
My family just adore this kind of soup and I'm a big fan because it's speedy, filling and packed with wholesome veggies.
Mandy Mazliah
Totally agree - love packing our soups full of veggies x
Cat | Curly's Cooking
I'd never have thought of making tortellini soup. This looks like a very tasty alternative to the usual types of soup. Also love the way your toddler talks!
Mandy Mazliah
Thanks so much Cat - the soup is really good and yes, the toddler is very cute at the moment!
Lucy Parissi
Loving your inclusion of balsamic for a tangy twang to this delicious looking soup.
Mandy Mazliah
Thanks so much Lucy - the balsamic really works well.