Name: Vegetarian Tortellini Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 onion; 2 garlic cloves; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 teaspoon paprika; 2 carrots; 2 celery stalks; 14-ounce can crushed fire roasted tomatoes; 1 quart vegetable broth; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; Freshly ground black pepper; 9 ounces good-quality fresh tortellini (aka tortelloni, found in the refrigerated section); 1 handful basil leaves; Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

The definition of cozy in a bowl, this tortellini soup is easy to put together and its hearty flavor pleases everyone at the table!

Ready for the coziest, heartiest soup to hit your bowl? This recipe is not one Alex and I invented, though we wish we did! It comes from a new cookbook of our friends at Green Kitchen Stories, David and Luise. They’ve written their fourth cookbook called Little Green Kitchen, a book of simple vegetarian family recipes. And if this vegetarian tortellini soup is any indication, this book is packed with the most delicious, creative and colorful recipes you’ll find. Keep reading for the recipe, and more about the book!

Want a creamy version? Go to Classic Creamy Tortellini Soup.

About the book: Little Green Kitchen

We’ve been major fans of David and Luise’s work for years, so we’re elated to see this newest book of theirs! Little Green Kitchen is a book of vegetarian recipes for families, simple enough for kiddos but tasty enough for adults. (Really, when Alex tasted this tortellini soup, he was like “I never had anything like this as a kid!”)

David and Luise have three kiddos and live in Sweden. Though you wouldn’t guess it from their seriously drop dead gorgeous website and Instagram feed, like most families, they still struggle to get healthy and delicious meals on the table every night. So they wrote this sweet book! It’s not just for kids, but there are hints throughout where kids can get involved.

“We try to have a positive and relaxed approach to healthy food and we truly believe that by eating well we can all feel better”, David says in the opening. When you take a look at the book, you can tell right away: for them, eating is all about beauty, color, and fun! This book is so visual that you’ve absolutely got to pick up a copy so you can see what we’re talking about. It’s a gorgeous compilation and perfect for gifts.

Side note: We were able to meet up with David for an evening in Barcelona last year and he is an incredibly lovely person. We noshed on tapas together and he let Larson put stickers on him and ride his scooter through the streets (scroll down here for a sweet photo).

Get the book! Little Green Kitchen by David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl

How to make vegetarian tortellini soup

So, this vegetarian tortellini soup: how to describe the flavor? It savory and hearty, with a lightly sweet depth that makes you want the bowl to be never-ending. The trick? Sauteing the onion with tomato paste and paprika before adding the rest of the ingredients gives just the right complexity to the broth. And a bit of carrot and celery add texture and crunch. Basil leaves are added right after the tortellini cooks, which meld into the beautiful velvety broth. Add a bit of Parmesan cheese and it’s a little bit of heaven.

How to make this easy tortellini soup? Here’s the main steps:

Saute diced onion with tomato paste. Saute for about 5 minutes until the onion is softened. Adding tomato paste to the minced onion adds body to the flavor.
Add diced carrots and celery. Saute for about 5 more minutes.
Stir in tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes until the veggies are soft. Add your salt & pepper at this point, too.
Add the fresh tortellini, then stir in the basil. Fresh tortellini cooks up in just 2 minutes, so this step is done in a breeze. Once they’re finished, stir in the basil leaves.
Serve! Garnish with Parmesan cheese shavings and serve warm.

In the book Little Green Kitchen, they also mention that kids can help with this process as well! The best places to let kids take over? They can dice the carrots and celery with a kid-safe knife. Then they can pour in the broth, and do the final garnish with Parmesan cheese. (If we know anything from our toddler, it’s that kids love to garnish.)

PS Growing your own fresh basil is a breeze! See our post How to grow fresh herbs.

What is tortellini?

So what is tortellini anyway? Tortellini is a pasta shaped in a ring, filled with cheese, meat or vegetable fillings. Usually tortellini is sold in the grocery store fresh or frozen. However, there are some brands that offer dried tortellini as well. Fresh pasta cooks much faster than dried, so fresh tortellini like the one used in this soup will cook up in just a few minutes. What’s shown here is actually tortelloni, large-sized tortellini with a solid center.

What to make with tortellini? Well, of course our top pick is this tortellini soup! But if you’re looking for other tortellini recipes, here are a few more:

15 Easy Tortellini Recipes

Easy Tortellini Salad

Antipasto Skewers

Cheese Tortellini in Creamy Marinara

This tortellini soup recipe is…

Vegetarian. For gluten-free, look for gluten-free tortellini. (An online search can find anything these days!)