This soup is a complete meal! It’s filling, it’s hearty, and it’s completely delicious! Tomato Tortellini Soup is a wholesome and nutritious meal made easy!
As a food blogger, I sometimes feel guilty about using prepared food items. I think I should be preparing things from scratch. But, I remind myself that Lord Byron’s Kitchen is all about recipes that can be made easily by anyone. There’s no shame in buying frozen tortellini, but if you’d like to make your own pasta, you can do that too!
I’m reminded of a conversation I had with McKenna a few months back about school lunches. I’ve always struggled with what to send with her. She’s a picky eater when it comes to school lunches. So, I asked her to give me some ideas; tell me what her friends bring.
She proceeds to tell me that one of her friends asked her why she brought a sandwich so often when her dad was practically a chef. Well, thanks for the partial compliment! But, I’m sure this friend wasn’t aware of the fact that I ask McKenna every single day what she wants for lunch. Her response is always the same – I don’t know. Well, kid, if you don’t know at your age what it is you want, you’re getting a sandwich!
The thing is, I’m not a chef. I’m just a guy who loves to cook and bake. My sister and I got an apartment together when I was 18. I’ve been cooking and baking since then, and I’ve practiced and practiced some more until I became good at it.
But, no matter how much I might enjoy rolling pasta dough, not everyone does. Knowing that the majority of my readers are not trained chefs either, makes my decision to use frozen tortellini that much easier and warranted.
TORTELLINI DO; TORTELLINI DON’T
If you decide to use fresh, homemade tortellini, I’ll assume that your cooking skills/knowledge are to the point where you don’t need any help. But, if you’re using store-bought, frozen tortellini, let me walk you through it.
When using frozen tortellini, you must keep it frozen. And, you must use it in its frozen state. Do not thaw it first! I know that’s such a contradictory of what normally happens when cooking, but in this case, it’s gospel. If you thaw it first, I guarantee you it will become rather mushy or fall apart completely.
I used three cheese tortellini, because I knew John.e would be eating most of this soup. I had to keep it vegetarian. You can use a beef tortellini or even a pork or chicken if you can get your hands on it. I think the cheese or the beef are the most common types though.
HOW TO GET THE BEST CANNED TOMATOES
If you’re not making your own canned tomatoes, you need to shop for the best! I’m actually quite particular when it comes to buying canned tomatoes. Even when a recipe calls for crushed or diced tomatoes, I will buy whole canned tomatoes and do the dicing or the crushing myself.
When you buy whole tomatoes, you’re getting the best bang for your buck. Processing plants will use the best, the ripest, those without blemishes, to make the whole canned tomatoes. The underwhelming tomatoes are used for the diced, crushed, or pureed tomatoes.
Even when it comes to canned tomatoes at less than two dollars a can, I want the best I can get. It takes me just a minute or two to dice or crush them, so why not!? And if you really want really, really good canned tomatoes, buy San Marzano tomatoes. You won’t regret it!
FREEZING AND STORING
Whenever I make soups, I tend to make a large batch. The reason is simple. I like to eat half and then save half for later. That means I can make two meals at the same time. The great thing about soups is that soups can be frozen.
Now, under normal circumstances, I would not recommend freezing pasta. But, since the pasta is already in a soup stock, it will most certainly lose some of it’s texture anyway – whether you freeze it or not!
Whether you are freezing the leftover soup or not, it’s always a good idea to portion soup into individual servings. This way, you re-heat/thaw only what you need. Once portioned, place in the refrigerator up to 3 days or freeze for 3 months. This soup is so good, it probably won’t stay in the fridge for very long!
Tomato Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cup baby spinach leaves
- 8 cups low sodium vegetable stock
- 28 ounces canned tomatoes, crushed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 500 grams frozen tortellini
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
Instructions
- Add the onion and olive oil to a large soup pot. Over medium heat, saute the onion, stirring often, until cooked through – about five minutes.
- Add the garlic and stir into the onions. Saute for two minutes.
- Add the spinach to the pot. Stir into the garlic and onions. Allow the spinach to cook down and wilt for about three minutes.
- Next, add the broth, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, ground black pepper, and salt. Stir well to combine.
- Allow the soup mixture to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the frozen tortellini to the soup. Stir well to combine. Allow to cook for 10 minutes or until tortellini is cooked through. Stir often.
- Stir through the parsley. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
SY Ho says
This soup is delicious … we love it. I also added green beans and corn . Will have it again for dinner tomorrow!