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White Bean Tortellini Soup

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We love this White Bean Tortellini Soup for something homemade, healthy, and satisfying on the busiest nights. It’s got tender cheese-filled tortellini cooked right in the broth, the zip of Italian tomatoes and herbs, and creamy white beans for added protein. Best of all, it’s no-fail and ready in just 20 minutes.

Bowl of white bean tortellini soup with baby spinach, fresh Parmesan, cracked salt and pepper.

Big flavor in 20 minutes.

When you’re tired at the end of the day, laboring over a complicated dinner is the absolute last thing you want to do. Yet, everyone still needs to eat, and sometimes those are the very days when you most crave a satisfying and cozy meal.

On these days, this healthy tortellini soup with white beans is like a secret weapon. It is literally the fastest, easiest soup that checks all my favorite boxes: delicious, made all in one pot from real ingredients, and inclusive of protein and veggies. No surprise, then, that I make this often!

If you’ve tried my white bean chicken soup, creamy tomato tortellini soup, or lemon white bean spinach soup, I’m confident you will love this one, as well.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Labeled overhead photo of fresh tortellini, diced tomatoes with juices in a can, drained and rinsed white beans, baby spinach, chicken broth, dried oregano, garlic cloves, and Parmesan cheese, all in prep bowls and ready to make into soup.

As noted, this recipe calls primarily for items you can keep in your pantry or freezer, which makes it a great dinner for those evenings when you just don’t know what else to make. Here is what you’ll need:

  • Tortellini. We have had the best results with refrigerated tortellini, which is quick and easy to simmer directly in the soup broth. You can store tortellini in the freezer and cook it directly from frozen, just adding 1-2 minutes to the boiling time stated on the package.
  • White Beans. Cannellini beans are a large Italian bean that maintain a hearty, creamy texture when cooked and work beautifully in any recipe that calls simply for “white beans.” Great northern or white navy beans also work well.
  • Baby Spinach. A staple in my fridge, because it keeps well and is a relatively mild, quick-cooking dark leafy green. Substitute with kale, Swiss chard, or leave it out if you don’t like wilted greens.
  • Broth Base: yellow onion, chicken or vegetable broth (or stock), and canned diced tomatoes. If I have one tip it’s to use the highest-quality broth that you can.
  • Seasonings: fresh minced garlic, dried oregano, kosher salt, and black pepper. Experiment with other Italian or Mediterranean herbs, such as basil, thyme, and rosemary, to taste.

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Easy Tortellini Soup

The beauty of this recipe is that it couldn’t be simpler. Everything cooks together in one pot, and there’s little chopping or other prep work.

Start the Aromatics: Begin by sautéing some humble onions in olive oil. Use a Dutch oven or stockpot big enough to hold your finished soup — this is the only pot you will need.

Add and Season the Broth: After the onions are soft, add a bit of garlic, followed by diced tomatoes, oregano, and either chicken or vegetable stock. Be sure to add the tomatoes with their juices.

Stir in Tortellini: Bring everything to a boil, then stir in the tortellini. When there is about one minute left in the cooking time, add the white beans and a few handfuls of spinach. The remaining kiss of heat will wilt the greens, warm the beans, and finish cooking the tortellini.

A white Dutch oven filled with hearty white bean tortellini soup with spinach and diced tomatoes.

Season and Serve: As soon as the tortellini is done, turn the heat completely off. Sample a spoonful of the broth and add extra salt and pepper to taste. Ladle soup into bowls and top with grated Parmesan, extra black pepper, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for optional heat.

Now you’ve got an amazing, hearty soup on your hands. That’s all there is to it!

Close up of a bowl filled with white bean tortellini soup.

Recipe Tips & Variations

  • Add shredded or diced cooked chicken for extra protein. Rotisserie chicken works great for this.
  • Add red pepper flakes to the broth for heat, or make those available at the table if some diners crave heat but not all.
  • Up the nutritional quotient further by incorporating more vegetables. Carrot or bell pepper work well and should be sautéd with the onions to soften. Peas or corn kernels are easy to toss in from frozen and can be added when the tortellini are about halfway done.
  • Use fresh herbs in place of or in addition to the dried oregano. The usual ratio is 1 part dried herbs to 3 parts fresh, so you would want to add at least 1 and 1/2 teaspoons fresh oregano to replace the 1/2 teaspoon dried.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this soup with garlic bread, garlic knots, breadsticks, crescent rolls, or a crunchy French loaf.

This soup has enough veggies that I rarely bother with a separate side for an everyday family dinner, but if you want to fancy things up or stretch things a bit further, this kale salad or a peppery arugula Parmesan mix will fit very nicely.

Angled view of white bean tortellini soup with tomatoes, spinach, and Italian herbs.

Storage Tips

  • To store: If you have leftovers, tortellini soup keeps well for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. The tortellini will absorb broth as it sits, so if you’re intending to eat this over the course of several days, consider boiling and storing the tortellini separately so it can be added directly to individual bowls. I always keep these deli containers on hand for storing and gifting soups and stews. No spills and easy to stack.
  • To reheat: Warm individual portions in the microwave, stirring between bursts of heat, or on the stove top over medium heat.
  • I don’t recommend freezing this soup once prepared.

More Easy Soup Recipes

If you try this White Bean Tortellini Soup recipe, don’t forget to rate it and leave a comment below. I love hearing how recipes turn out in your kitchen, and it helps other readers, too.

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4.62 from 21 votes

White Bean Tortellini Soup

We love this for something homemade, healthy, and satisfying on the busiest nights. It's got tender cheese-filled tortellini cooked right in the broth, the zip of Italian tomatoes and herbs, and creamy white beans for added protein. Best of all, it's no-fail and ready in just 20 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth 
  • 9 ounces fresh tortellini any variety
  • 3-4 cups fresh baby spinach loosely packed
  • 1 (15 ounce) can Cannellini or other white beans drained and rinsed
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • shaved or grated Parmesan for serving

Instructions

  • In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, warm olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes.
  • Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 30-60 seconds, just until fragrant. Quickly stir in the diced tomatoes and oregano. Add the broth, increase heat, and bring the mixture to a boil.
  • When boiling, add tortellini and cook according to package directions. One minute before the tortellini is done, stir in the spinach and white beans.
  • When tortellini is fully cooked, remove pot from the heat. Sample and season with salt and pepper to taste. (I usually add 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 6-8 cranks of black pepper.) Serve warm with grated Parmesan and more pepper as desired.
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Notes

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 285 kcal, Carbohydrates: 43 g, Protein: 15 g, Fat: 6 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 19 mg, Sodium: 388 mg, Potassium: 731 mg, Fiber: 6 g, Sugar: 4 g, Vitamin A: 1615 IU, Vitamin C: 13 mg, Calcium: 189 mg, Iron: 4.6 mg

This post was originally published in January 2018 and has been substantially updated twice to include new photos and more helpful information on the cooking process, substitutions, and variations.

26 Comments

  1. This is a lovely soup.  It’s simple and quick with lots of flavor.  I’ve made it multiple times and serving it to guests tonight.  

    1. So happy to hear that! Enjoy your guests tonight and thank you for taking the time to leave this kind review!

  2. Made this last night. Had to use can of fire roasted diced tomato because that was all I had. Also only had tri color cheese tortellini. It was DELICIOUS! Hubby said best soup ever…that made me mad because I thought my chicken matzo ball soup was best ever. Thanks for this Monica.

  3. I found this soup very bland, very watery. I had to add a lot of extra ingredients to make it taste somewhat good but ended up throwing the entire pot of soup out. 

    1. So sorry to hear that, Jessica. I would love to know what brand of chicken broth/stock you used, as that’s the only thing I could imagine making the whole pot very watery.

  4. So easy and so delicious! I followed the recipe exactly and it was a family pleaser! In the future I may add Italian sausage just for an “extra kick”. Thank you for sharing will be made many more times in this house!

    1. Hi Karen, I am so happy to hear that! Love the idea of using Italian sausage for even more flavor and heartiness. Thank you so much for leaving this review!

  5. Can I use gnocchi in place of tortellini as a vegan option? In my place, it is next to impossible to get vegan tortellini.

    1. I think this would be delicious with gnocchi – great idea! Let us know how you like it, I’m sure other readers would love to know, too!

  6. Have you ever considered adding chicken at all? Boiling and shredding before you put the tortellini in?
    I’m just curious is all.

  7. Hi,
    I tried it and it didn’t taste too hearty, thought it did look delicious. It was sort of watery. I suggest adding cumin and coriander with the onions so that there is more final flavor.

  8. So much cooking is so easy and not time consuming. People just need to have some food in their pantries and get in the kitchen instead of ordering from Postmates! Great recipe!

  9. Now that is what I call a comforting soup. I like my soups to be filling and this is definitely ticking the box for that.

  10. This reminds me of my childhood. My Dad used to always make tortellini soup for us and we thought it was the best. I had forgotten how good it is, thank for the reminder.

    1. Aww, isn’t that the best, when you remember something like that? I’m happy to have helped bring back a happy memory!

4.62 from 21 votes (11 ratings without comment)

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