Are you looking for the ultimate cozy and comforting meal in a bowl? A soup that is absolutely packed with wholesome, nourishing vegetables and tender, cheesy pasta pillows? This incredible, from-scratch, one-pot Vegetable Tortellini Soup is that perfect dish. It’s a rustic, soul-warming, and completely satisfying Italian-inspired classic, made extra special with a hint of sweet fennel and a vibrant, fresh kale pesto to finish.
This isn’t just a recipe; it’s a guide to your new favorite soup for all seasons. We’ll show you the simple secrets to building a deep, rich, and flavorful broth, and how to create the most incredible, hearty texture. This is a wonderfully versatile and satisfying soup that is perfect for a chilly evening, a healthy lunch, and is guaranteed to be a huge hit with the entire family.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Cozy & Hearty Soup
What makes this Tortellini Soup so spectacularly delicious is its incredible depth of flavor and its wonderfully thick and hearty texture. This is a true, rustic, Italian-style vegetable soup, and it’s a complete meal in a bowl. The flavor foundation is a classic Italian soffritto—a medley of onion and carrots, made uniquely sophisticated with the addition of sweet, aromatic fennel. The soup is made incredibly substantial with the addition of cheesy tortellini and hearty, nutritious kale. The final, show-stopping touch is a dollop of a bright, garlicky, homemade kale pesto, which adds a powerful burst of fresh, herbaceous flavor.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 50 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 6-8 |
The Essential Ingredients for This Italian-Inspired Soup
This iconic dish uses a handful of simple, wholesome ingredients to create its signature rich and savory flavor.
- The Soffritto (with a Fennel Twist!):
- The Classic Base: A classic soffritto of onion and carrots provides a sweet and aromatic flavor base for the entire soup.
- Fennel: This is the secret ingredient that lends a sophisticated, restaurant-quality flavor. A fresh fennel bulb has a wonderfully crisp texture and a subtle, sweet, and aromatic flavor reminiscent of licorice or anise. When cooked, it becomes very tender and its flavor mellows beautifully.
- The Hearty Add-Ins:
- Cheese Tortellini: Using a package of your favorite store-bought cheese tortellini (fresh or frozen) is a fantastic shortcut that makes this soup incredibly hearty, satisfying, and kid-friendly.
- Kale: A generous amount of hearty, torn fresh kale adds a beautiful, deep green color, an earthy flavor, and a ton of fantastic nutrients to the soup.
- The Vibrant Kale Pesto: This is the bright, fresh garnish that takes the soup over the top. A simple, homemade pesto is easy to make and adds a powerful punch of flavor. You will need:
- 2 cups fresh kale leaves
- ½ cup fresh parsley or basil
- ¼ cup toasted walnuts or almonds
- 1 large garlic clove
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- The Savory Broth: A simple but flavorful base of vegetable broth and a can of diced tomatoes. A final splash of balsamic vinegar is a brilliant secret ingredient that adds a touch of acidity and complexity that balances all the other flavors.
Step-by-Step to the Best Tortellini Soup
This delicious, one-pot soup is incredibly simple to prepare.
Step 1: Build the Flavor Base
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat.
Add the 1 diced medium yellow onion, the 2 chopped medium carrots, the 1 diced fennel bulb, the 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, and several grinds of fresh black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften and become very fragrant.
Add the 2 minced garlic cloves and the 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar to the pot. Cook for 1 more minute, until the garlic is fragrant.
Step 2: Simmer the Soup and Cook the Tortellini
Step 1: Add the 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes, the 3 1/2 cups of vegetable broth, the 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves, and the red pepper flakes to the pot.
Step 2: Stir everything together, cover the pot, and let the soup simmer for 30 minutes. This allows all the delicious flavors to meld together and the vegetables to become perfectly tender.
Step 3: While the soup is simmering, bring a separate, large pot of salted boiling water to a boil and cook your package of cheese tortellini according to the package directions until it is al dente.
Pro Tip: Cooking the tortellini separately is a key step! It prevents the delicate pasta from becoming overcooked and mushy in the soup, and it also ensures that the pasta won’t absorb all the delicious broth in your leftovers.
Part 3: Prepare the Kale Pesto and Finish the Soup
Step 1: While everything is cooking, prepare your kale pesto. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the 1/2 cup of fresh parsley or basil and all the other pesto ingredients. Pulse until a coarse paste is formed.
Step 2: When the soup has finished simmering, add the cooked and drained tortellini and the 5 cups of torn kale to the soup. Let it simmer for just 2 more minutes, until the kale has wilted.
Step 3: Give the soup a final taste and season with any more salt and pepper if needed.
To serve, ladle the hot, hearty soup into warm bowls. Top each serving with a generous dollop of your fresh kale pesto and an extra sprinkle of fresh parsley.
The Best Hearty Vegetable Tortellini Soup
A hearty and flavorful vegetarian tortellini soup, perfect for a cozy meal. This one-pot recipe features a rich, savory broth made with a base of sautéed onion, carrots, and fennel, simmered with diced tomatoes and herbs. Cheese-filled tortellini are cooked separately and then added to the soup along with fresh, torn kale, which is wilted at the very end. The soup is finished with a splash of balsamic vinegar for brightness and is suggested to be served with a scoop of kale pesto.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 1 fennel bulb, diced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 3 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 9 to 12 ounces cheese tortellini (or vegan tortellini)
- 5 cups torn kale
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley or basil, for garnish
- Kale Pesto, for serving (optional, recipe not provided)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, fennel, salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the balsamic vinegar and garlic and cook for one more minute until fragrant.
- Add the diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Cover the pot and let the soup simmer for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
- While the soup simmers, cook the tortellini in a separate pot of salted boiling water according to the package directions until al dente. Drain.
- Add the cooked tortellini and the torn kale to the soup pot. Simmer for 2 more minutes, until the kale has wilted.
- Season the soup to taste with additional salt and pepper.
- Serve in bowls, garnished with fresh parsley and a scoop of kale pesto, if desired.
Notes
- The tortellini is cooked separately and added at the end to prevent it from becoming overcooked and mushy in the soup.
- The kale is added in the last couple of minutes of cooking so that it wilts perfectly while retaining some of its texture and bright green color.
- The recipe suggests serving with kale pesto, but the recipe for the pesto is not included in the article.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
A hearty soup like this one is the perfect make-ahead meal, as the flavors actually become even deeper and more delicious on the second day!
- Make-Ahead: You can prepare the entire soup base (without the tortellini and kale) a day or two in advance and store it in the refrigerator. When you are ready to eat, simply bring the soup to a simmer, cook your fresh tortellini, and add the tortellini and kale at the end. The kale pesto can also be made up to 3 days in advance.
- Storage: Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It is a great idea to store the cooked tortellini separately if possible to maintain the best texture.
- Freezing: This soup freezes beautifully! For the best result, it is a great idea to freeze the vegetable soup base without the tortellini.
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Creative Recipe Variations
- Add a Savory Protein: For a hearty, non-vegetarian version, you can brown about 1 pound of crumbled Italian sausage or some crispy, diced pancetta in the pot before you add the onion. You could also stir in some shredded rotisserie chicken.
- Make it a Creamy Soup: For an even richer and more decadent broth, you can stir in about 1/2 to 1 cup of heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk at the very end of the cooking time and let it warm through.
- Use a Different Green: If you’re not a fan of kale, you could easily substitute it with about 4 to 5 cups of chopped, hearty Swiss chard or stir in a few large handfuls of fresh baby spinach at the very end.
Enjoy The Ultimate Cozy One-Pot Meal!
You’ve just created a truly special soup that is a perfect harmony of hearty, wholesome, and delicious flavors. This classic Vegetable Tortellini Soup is a testament to the power of a simple, one-pot meal to bring comfort and joy. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying dish that is sure to become a new family favorite for all the chilly days of the year.
We hope you enjoy every last, warm, and delicious bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves a good, hearty soup!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the best way to keep my tortellini from getting too mushy in the soup leftovers?
The number one, foolproof secret is to cook and store your tortellini separately from the soup base. By adding the cooked tortellini to each individual bowl as you serve it, you are guaranteeing that the pasta will have a perfect, al dente texture and it will not become overly soft or absorb all the delicious broth in your leftovers.
Q2: Can I make this soup ahead of time?
Yes, this is an absolutely perfect make-ahead soup! The flavors will actually be even better on the second or third day after they have had time to meld. Simply prepare the soup base completely, and then cook and add your fresh tortellini and kale just before you plan to serve it.
Q3: What does fennel taste like?
Fresh, raw fennel has a crisp texture and a bright, slightly sweet flavor with a distinct note of anise or licorice. When you cook it, as in this soup, that licorice flavor becomes much more mild, sweet, and beautifully aromatic, adding a wonderful, sophisticated depth to the broth.
Q4: Can I freeze this soup?
Yes, this is a fantastic freezer meal! For the best texture, it is a great idea to freeze just the vegetable soup base (without the tortellini or the kale pesto). Let it cool completely, and then you can store it in freezer-safe containers. When you are ready to eat, you can thaw the soup base, bring it to a simmer, and then cook and add your fresh pasta.
Q5: Can I use frozen tortellini instead of fresh?
Of course! Frozen tortellini is a fantastic and convenient option. Simply cook it according to the package directions, and it will be just as delicious in the soup.