Veggie-Loaded Tortellini Soup (vegetarian)
This Veggie-Loaded Tortellini Soup is packed with flavor, is simple to make, and is the perfect cozy vegetarian soup recipe. Make it on the stovetop in one pot in under 30 minutes and enjoy it as a comforting dinner.

It’s 100% soup season, TNNers, and I am currently making all the vegetable soup recipes.
There is nothing better than a cozy, flavorful bowl of hot veggie-loaded soup at the end of the day. And I kinda have a special place in my heart for soup recipes that are rocking a little pasta (like my Veggie-Loaded Lasagna Soup). So, it is zero surprise to me that I’m pretty smitten with this Veggie-Loaded Tortellini Soup.
This delicious, comforting vegetarian tortellini soup is the ultimate easy, veggie-loaded, comfort food. You’ve got protein from white beans, oodles of veggies—carrots, kale, celery, and onions. And some serious flavor that will make this quickly a family favorite. And you can easily make it up all in ONE POT (because life is busy enough without more dishes) in about 30 minutes and you have the perfect weeknight dinner that will be gobbled up in no time!
This soup is a great opportunity to clean out the veggie drawer, so feel free to substitute or add in lots of different vegetables. Bell pepper, zucchini, green beans, and mushrooms would all work well in this soup. Feel free to get creative or make it fit your needs and personal taste preference.
Can I freeze this soup?
Yes, but I wouldn’t add the tortellini until you plan to enjoy it. The pasta soaks up the liquid of the soup and becomes soft as it sits and the freezing often adds to the softness of the pasta. To freeze, cook soup as directed until the step where you would add the tortellini. Cool and freeze. Once ready to enjoy, heat cooked tortellini separately and then stir it into thawed and reheated soup. This will ensure for the best texture.
Can I make this soup ahead of time?
Totally! I love making this soup for dinner and enjoying the leftovers as quick lunches for a few days after. However, when I know I want to enjoy this soup for days to come….I cook the tortellini separately from the soup so it doesn’t sit in the broth. Why? Because as the soup sits, the pasta will absorb more liquid and become overly soft for my taste. So I cook the pasta separately, store it in my fridge and stir it into warmed soup when I’m ready to enjoy it. The warm soup warms the cooked pasta, but the tortellini doesn’t become mushy.
Suggested Adaptations
Use a different kind of pasta. If you don’t have tortellini, you can use another pasta of your choice, mini ravioli, or even gnocchi.
Want to add even more flavor to this soup? Stir in a few spoonfuls of homemade or store-bought pesto before serving.
Add meat. Don’t need the soup to be vegetarian? Cook some Italian-style chicken or pork sausage in the pot before adding the vegetables.
Skip the white beans. If beans don’t agree with you, or you don’t have them on hand…simply omit them.
Up the veggies. Love the veggie-loaded approach and want to maximize this soup? Green beans, diced zucchini or summer squash are also great additions.
Swap out the veggies. Use pretty much whatever veggie you have on hand.
Make this soup in the Instant Pot, use the Saute function for steps 1 to 4. Cancel, place on the lid, then set to Manual high pressure for 6 minutes. Release the pressure then cancel and place back on the Saute function. Follow the remaining steps by either cooking the tortellini in the soup or cooking it in a different pot on the stove.
Make this soup in a slow cooker, place everything except the tortellini and cheese into the crockpot and give it a stir. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. Stir in the tortellini then cook on high for 30 to 45 minutes until the pasta is tender.
Wondering how to store your carrots so they stay fresh as long as possible? Check out my post on How to Keep Cut Carrots Fresh and get the most out of your produce buck!
Other vegetarian soup recipes
- Creamy Mushroom Vegetable Rice Soup
- Creamy Cauliflower Vegetarian Potato Soup
- Veggie-Loaded Lasagna Soup (vegetarian)
- Vegan Leek Potato Soup
- One-Pot Coconut Curry Kabocha Squash Soup
Did you try these tortellini soup and now you’re hungry for more?
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Veggie-Loaded Tortellini Soup (vegetarian)
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ cups chopped onion , about 1 medium onion
- 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced, or 1 fennel bulb, chopped
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bunch lacinato (dino) kale, center rib removed and leaves chopped or 5 oz baby spinach*
- 1½ cups jarred marinara, or other tomato-based pasta sauce
- 14 ounces canned white beans, (cannellini, great northern, or navy), drained and rinsed (about 2 cups)
- 6-8 cups vegetable broth, I used low-sodium
- 9 ounce package cheese tortellini
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, , plus more for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in the salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic. Cook for a minute, stirring frequently.
- Stir in the kale, marinara sauce, beans, and 6 cups of the vegetable broth. Bring the pot up to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes to soften the vegetables.If using spinach as your greens, wait until step 6 to add to the soup.
- If you are planning on serving this soup right away, add the uncooked tortellini to the pot while the veggies cook and simmer for 1 minute less than instructed on the package.If you aren’t serving this soup right away, boil the tortellini in a separate pot according to package instructions, drain, and then stir into the soup right before serving.
- The cooked tortellini will absorb more of the soup as it sits, so adjust the soup volume with 1 or 2 cups of additional broth as needed. If using spinach instead of kale, stir in the spinach at this time and allow to wilt in the hot soup for a minute or two.
- Once ready to serve, stir in the parmesan cheese, if using, then taste and adjust the soup seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Ladle soup into bowls then garnish with a sprinkle of extra cheese if you’d like.
Notes
- This soup is a great opportunity to clean out the veggie drawer, so feel free to substitute or add in lots of different vegetables. Bell pepper, zucchini, green beans, and mushrooms would all work well in this soup.
- If you don’t have tortellini, you can use another pasta of your choice, mini ravioli, or even gnocchi.
- Want to add even more flavor to this soup? Stir in a few spoonfuls of homemade or store-bought pesto before serving.
- Don’t need the soup to be vegetarian? Cook some Italian-style chicken or pork sausage in the pot before adding the vegetables.
Can you use frozen tortellini in this recipe or should it be freshly packaged pasta?
I think frozen should be fine. Just cook it according to directions!
Oh my, what a fabulously cozy & hearty soup! Maybe my favorite part was how quick and easy it was to make! I made it with spinach, and I didn’t have tortellini (thought I did…. oops!) so I used frozen ravioli. It was lovely.
Another note, my little has dairy allergies so I just served her soup without the ravioli and then tossed in some pasta I had cooked for her.
Love that you found it as easy and as hearty as we do! And love the adaptations you made to make it work with what you hand AND for your family. Thanks for taking the time to share, Jessie.
This was delicious! I added extra thyme, oregano, omitted the beans (only because I didn’t have them), added frozen green beans, and it was a huge hit! Definitely will be making again.
Love the adaptations! And so glad you enjoyed it as much as we do. Such a cozy, hearty soup.
The first time my eyes landed on your latest recipe, I knew I had to make it. My eyes have never been so right. This soup is FAB : meat-eater husband approved, delicious and nutritious. I cannot wait to make this for more loved ones! Thank you thank you thank you. Perfect for a cold, dreary day!
I’m so delighted to hear it was a hit all around! It really is the perfect, hearty soup to curl up with. Thanks for taking the time to share, Jessica.
My family loves this recipe! It’s super flavorful and packed with delicious veggies. I think it’s my new favorite TNN recipe!
I’m so glad you love it as much as we do! Its so perfect for this time of year. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, Kayleen!
Love this soup! Easy to add to a weekday meal plan. I made this soup for a neighbor, too. She liked it as well 🙂
I’m so glad, Kristin! Thanks for sharing (with your neighbor and us!😉)
Oh man! This soup is SO flavorful! I love that it is so simple to make, but it’s so hearty and packs a big punch. Will definitely keep this in my recipe wheelhouse.
I agree, Larissa! So hearty, tasty and just downright satisfying!