This easy, one-pot vegan tortellini soup recipe can be prepared in a crockpot or on the stove in under an hour and is hearty, cozy, creamy, & pure comfort in a bowl!
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Creamy, Cozy, Comforting Vegan Tortellini Soup
If you’re looking for simple, inexpensive, and cozy winter meals that scream comfort food, look no further than options like creamy gochujang pasta and delicious soups and stews like mushroom miso soup, and this easy vegan tortellini soup. It’s a cozy hug in a bowl!
This creamy spinach and tortellini soup is made with a classic mirepoix base in a tomato and dairy-free ‘cream’ based soup broth, with plenty of spinach for extra nutrients. The combination is loaded with flavor, nutrients, and satisfyingly filling as a fairly well-rounded meal.
It’s also simple to prepare in one pot (on the stove or in a crock pot), with inexpensive pantry ingredients and several easy ways to customize it. It couldn’t be easier, either – just a bit of chopping, sauteing, and simmering. Plus, it’s great for making in batches and enjoying throughout the week. It’s even freezer-friendly!
The Ingredients and Substitutes
- Oil: I use olive oil, though any neutral oil will work. E.g., vegetable oil, avocado oil, etc.
- Vegetable broth: Use store-bought or homemade vegetable stock, or combine stock cubes/pots with water. Use regular or reduced-sodium stock.
- Marinara sauce: Use store-bought or homemade marinara. Alternatively, a combination of canned chopped tomatoes (or crushed tomatoes) and tomato paste will work well. This one is delicious.
- Mirepoix: This creamy tomato tortellini soup uses the typical soup base of carrot, onion, and celery for heaps of flavor depth. Save time using a pre-prepared mirepoix base.
- Garlic: I prefer fresh garlic, but garlic powder works in a pinch.
- Seasonings: Add depth to spinach tortellini soup with simple seasonings.
- Italian seasoning
- Fennel seed (optional)
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Basil: Fresh basil adds heaps of fresh, herby, pesto-like flavor.
- Spinach: Use regular or baby spinach. Kale would also work.
- Tofu: Super firm or extra firm tofu works best and will blend creamy while being loaded with plant-based protein. Alternatively, use cashew cream, the cream from canned coconut milk, or your favorite dairy-free heavy cream.
- Vegan tortellini: Use your favorite vegan tortellini, fresh or frozen. You can choose from several flavors, like mushroom, tofu, spinach and ricotta, etc.
- Parsley: (optional) to garnish the soup. Dill may work, too.
- Red pepper flakes: To garnish for subtle heat (optional).
What Could I Add to Veg Tortellini Soup?
- Vegan sausage: Make vegan sausage tortellini soup with about 1 lb. of vegan sausage meat (like Beyond Meat), sauteed and added to the soup.
- Vegan meatballs: Another way to add protein is making plant-based meatball tortellini soup with homemade or store-bought vegan meatballs.
- Pesto: Add a few tbsps of red or green pesto to the soup for delicious pesto tortellini soup. Enjoy it with or without the ‘cream.’
- Zucchini: Chopped zucchini is a popular addition to tortellini veggie soup.
- Vegetable tortellini soup: To increase the nutrients further, experiment with adding green beans, peas, mushrooms, bell pepper, corn, etc.
- Other herbs: E.g., thyme, oregano, bay leaves, etc.
- Beans: Add a can of beans (chickpeas, white beans, pinto beans, etc.) for protein, texture, and fiber.
- Dairy-free cream cheese: For a creamier soup.
- Garnishes: E.g., vegan parmesan, lemon/lime wedges, hot sauce, a drizzle of olive oil or balsamic glaze, crispy chickpeas, croutons, fresh black pepper, etc.
How to Make Vegan Tortellini Soup
1) First, peel and dice the onion and carrots, and chop the celery.
2) In a large soup pan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the chopped vegetables to the pan and sauté for 5 minutes.
3) Stir in the seasonings and sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring often.
4) Add the marinara sauce, water, and bouillon cubes. Cover, bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer for 20 minutes. Immediately lower it to a simmer for 20 minutes before stirring in the tortellini and boiling for 1 minute.
6) Cover the soup pot with a lid, turn off the heat, and leave it undisturbed for 15 minutes.
This method works amazingly with the tortellini I used, but you could try boiling it for 3-5 minutes instead.
7) Meanwhile, blend the tofu (or vegan cream of your choice) with the basil and one cup of water until creamy and smooth and set aside.
8) After 15 minutes, stir the spinach into the soup and bring it back to a boil over medium heat.
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9) Once boiling, gently stir in the herby tofu cream, then test a tortellini to see if it’s fully cooked. If so, taste and adjust any of the seasoning levels.
10) Serve the creamy vegan tortellini soup optionally sprinkled with fresh parsley and/or red pepper flakes.
Vegan Crockpot Tortellini Soup
- First, carry out steps 1-3 above as written.
- Then, transfer the skillet contents to a crockpot along with the broth and marinara sauce, mix well, and add the lid.
- Cook the creamy tomato tortellini soup in the slow cooker for 7-8 hours on LOW or 3-4 hours on HIGH, stirring occasionally. Add the tortellini in the last 30-40 minutes, and cook on HIGH, stirring in the spinach and tofu cream in the last 5-10 minutes.
With the combination of ingredients, this vegan/vegetarian tortellini soup can be enjoyed alone or with a side of crusty bread, garlic bread, and/or a side salad – shaved Brussels sprouts salad or white bean salad.
Recipe Pro Tips
- Use good tortellini: Freshly made tortellini, in particular, will boost the quality of this one-pot vegetable tortellini soup.
- To adjust the creaminess: Use more or less of the tofu cream/vegan cream.
- For thinner soup: Add more vegetable broth to your desired consistency.
- Don’t overcook the tortellini: Otherwise, it can fall apart. It’s best to cook it al dente.
- Season to taste: Taste the soup at the end and adjust any of the seasonings to your liking to ensure it suits your preferences.
FAQs
Yes, and there’s no need to thaw it either – just adjust the cooking time according to the package instructions.
The best way I know of is to cook the tortellini separately and only add it when serving the soup.
You can make this soup with regular pasta shapes, too, short or long. Adjust the time based on the type of noodles you use.
Storage Instructions
Allow vegan tortellini soup to cool, then store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Just note the tortellini continues to soften and absorb broth.
I use these containers and these labels.
Can You Freeze Tortellini Soup?
It’s possible to freeze creamy tortellini soup, though it’s best to do so without the vegan cream. Also, the pasta will soften upon thawing and can become a little mushy, so you may wish to leave that out (for now).
To store it, transfer the soup in portions to Ziplock/Stasher bags then freeze for 2-3 months. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating gently on the stove over low heat or in the microwave in 30-second increments.
More Vegan Soup Recipes
If you try this vegan tortellini soup recipe, I'd love to know your thoughts in the comments below. I'd also really appreciate a recipe card rating.
Easy Vegan Tortellini Soup [Stove or Crockpot]
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 large carrots, diced
- 3 celery ribs, diced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon of fennel seed, crushed (optional)
- 1 tablesppoon of Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon of salt, plus more to taste
- 1 (24-ounce) jar of marinara sauce
- 5 to 6 cups of water
- 2 vegetable bouillon cubes
- 2 (9-ounce) packages of vgean tortellini
- 4 cups of spinach
- 1 (16-ounce) package of super firm tofu, drained
- 1 cup of packed basil
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)
- Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot with a lid, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute for 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, fennel, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix well and saute for 2 minutes.
- Add the marinara sauce, water, and bouillon cubes. Cover, bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the tortellini, gently mix well and boil for 1 minute. Cover with the lid, turn off the heat and leave it undisturbed for 15 minutes.
- Add the spinach, mix well and bring back to a boil over medium heat.
- While the tortellini is cooking. In the pitcher of a blender or food processor, add the tofu, 1 cup of water, and the basil. Blend for one minute or until completely smooth. Set aside.
- When 15 minutes have passed, add the tofu cream and gently mix the soup until the tofu is fully incorporated. Carefully take one tortellini out and taste it. At this point, test if the tortellini is fully cooked and taste the salt levels. Adjust if needed.
- Serve and sprinkle fresh parsley and red pepper flakes if using.
Notes
- Use good tortellini: Freshly made tortellini, in particular, will boost the quality of this one-pot vegetable tortellini soup.
- To adjust the creaminess: Use more or less of the tofu cream/vegan cream.
- For thinner soup: Add more vegetable broth to your desired consistency.
- Don’t overcook the tortellini: Otherwise, it can fall apart. It’s best to cook it al dente.
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Andrea says
So yummy!
Tina says
I absolutely love this vegan tortellini soup!!
Andrea says
Isn't it the best?! So delicious!
Nora says
The best vegan tortellini soup I've ever had! So delicious! Thank you!
DK says
This is the perfect soup to make on a cold winter day. It's rich, flavorful and definitely filling!
Andrea says
Agreed! It's super filling!
Andréa says
This looks so delicious. A real bowl of comfort food!
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says
I love this soup. It’s heart and flavorful and totally satisfying. And I love that it’s plant based.
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says
This soup is fabulous!! It’s so easy to make and totally plant based!
Lindsey says
This looks AMAZING! I cannot wait to try making this vegan tortellini soup. The best part is that I can make it in the crockpot -- so simple!
Andrea says
You're going to love it! It's super simple and so tasty!
Marie-Pierre Breton says
The perfect soup for a cold winter night! I love these tortellini soups, so fulfilling and easy to make!
Melly Timms says
Hello! I'm having a hard time finding vegan tortellini in my small town and surrounding area. Do you have a suggestion for an alternative pasta that would work in this recipe? Thank you!
Andrea says
Hi! You can make this soup with regular pasta shapes, too, short or long. Adjust the time based on the type of noodles you use. 🙂