Tortellini Artichoke Pesto Soup! This vegetarian tortellini soup features store-bought pasta, pesto and artichoke hearts, making it an incredibly quick weeknight dinner option!
This recipe was originally posted on October 5, 2017 and updated on January 19, 2022.
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People often assume that because I create and share recipes for a living, I always feel like cooking dinner for my family. This assumption could not be farther from the truth.
This inevitable reality (and proof of my humanness) is actually the reason for some of my most popular "quick and easy" weeknight dinners!
I am not afraid of taking shortcuts in the kitchen, and you shouldn't be either. Why not? Well, because if we were, then we wouldn't have recipes like this hearty and satisfying vegetarian tortellini soup. (And the world would be a sadder place.)
I'm all about combining convenient, store-bought ingredients with fresh produce to create a perfect balance of quick and quality! This soup comes together in no time at all thanks to just a handful of flavorful ingredients.
Looking for more easy soup recipes? Try out my Creamy Cabbage & Potato Soup, Moroccan-Spiced Vegetable Soup, Creamy Carrot-Ginger Soup, or Easy Roasted Tomato Soup.
This recipe is naturally vegetarian and can be made gluten-free or vegan. (See Variations & substitutions section below.)
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Ingredients
- Artichoke hearts. Fresh, frozen, canned or jarred... your pick!
- Onion. I like to use yellow onion with their mildly sweet, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
- Fire-roasted tomatoes. I've also made this with fresh cherry tomatoes or Roma tomatoes, but fire-roasted add a nice flavor (and require less chopping!).
- Sea salt.
- Vegetable broth.
- Water.
- Tortellini. Plain cheese is always good, but don't be afraid to experiment with different varieties.
- Pesto. I almost always have a jar of pesto in my pantry. If you prefer homemade, feel free to use it.
- Spinach.
How to Prepare Artichokes
If you do decide to use fresh artichokes for this recipe, or simply want to learn how to prepare artichokes to enjoy on their own, you should know that it's not as hard as it may seem!
Though artichokes may look daunting to cook with their armored outside, they are actually quite easy to make once you get the hang of it! You can boil them, steam them and even microwave them, then store them in the refrigerator for up to a week, making them easily accessible for quick, tasty recipes. {If you don't eat them before then, that is!}
These artichoke prep tutorial videos show just how simple artichoke prepping, cooking and eating can be, so make sure to hop over and check them out.
Instructions
This soup is really just sautéing a few ingredients, before adding liquids to the pot and then cooking the tortellini until just done (which usually only takes a few minutes with store-bought tortellini that can be found in the refrigerated section.)
First, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat.
Next, add onion and cook until slightly tender and translucent. Stir in the diced tomatoes and chopped artichoke hearts and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Add the broth and water and bring the mixture to a boil. Toss in the tortellini and cook according to package directions. (It usually only takes 3-5 minutes depending on the brand. Try not to overcook or the pasta can become mushy and open up, spilling the fillings into the soup. It'll still taste good, but it won't look as pretty.)
In the last minute of cooking, stir in the pesto and chopped spinach and cook until the spinach is just wilted, just 1-2 minutes.
That's it! Serve the soup immediately topped with grated cheese, croutons or slices of crusty bread if desired.
FAQ's
If you want to get a head start on making this soup, I'd make the recipe and then stop just before adding the tortellini. Any type of pasta or rice in soup will absorb the liquid and bloat, causing the pasta to become mushier and sopping up a good portion of the broth. In all honesty, this soup comes together so quickly that I wouldn't bother with trying to make it ahead.
While this soup can be frozen, I suggest making the recipe and stopping before adding the tortellini. Cool the soup completely and place it in a freezer-safe container. Freeze the tortellini alongside the soup. When ready to serve, thaw the soup in the microwave or on the stovetop and cook the tortellini in the broth just before serving.
A side salad, crusty bread or rolls or a grilled cheese for dunking are always solid choices for serving alongside soup!
Variations & Substitutions
- Add extra plant-based protein by adding white beans.
- Make it for meat-eaters by breaking up a few links of Italian sausage or mini meatballs when you sauté the veggies. Or keep it vegetarian by trying vegan sausage or tofu crumbles.
- Change up your greens with kale, chard or collards.
- Use a different filled pasta like ravioli.
Diet-Specific Substitutions
- Gluten-Free: Use your favorite gluten-free pasta in place of regular tortellini.
- Vegan: Use a vegan pesto and make sure to use a tortellini or pasta that is plant-based rather than filled with regular cheese.
Tortellini Artichoke Pesto Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped artichoke hearts canned or jarred
- ½ cup onion finely diced
- 14.5 ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 32 ounces vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 10 ounce container store bought tortellini cheese or your favorite variety
- ⅓ cup store-bought pesto
- 2 cups spinach roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a medium pot over medium-high heat, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add onion and cook until slightly tender and translucent. Add tomatoes and chopped artichoke and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- Add broth and water; bring to a boil.
- Add tortellini and cook according to package directions.
- In the last minute of cooking, stir in pesto and chopped spinach and cook until spinach is just wilted.
- Serve immediately topped with grated cheese and/or croutons if desired.
Notes
- Add extra plant-based protein by adding white beans.
- Make it for meat-eaters by breaking up a few links of Italian sausage or mini meatballs when you sauté the veggies. Or keep it vegetarian by trying vegan sausage or tofu crumbles.
- Change up your greens with kale, chard or collards.
- Use a different filled pasta like ravioli.
- Gluten-Free: Use your favorite gluten-free pasta in place of regular tortellini.
- Vegan: Use a vegan pesto and make sure to use a tortellini or pasta that is plant-based rather than filled with regular cheese.
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