This pesto tortellini soup is easy to make and packed with tons of flavor and tortellini. The addition of pesto and a little coconut milk add the perfect finishing touch to the soup.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The soup can be made in less than 30 minutes on busy weeknights.
- There's so much flavor from fresh seasonings and Italian sausage.
- It reheats well the next day and is a great option for meal prep.
- It's a family favorite during soup season and you can adjust the recipe to your needs.
Ingredient Notes
- Olive oil
- Italian sausage - feel free to use pork, chicken, or turkey sausage for this soup. Our favorite is the Italian chicken sausage from Trader Joe's. Note that you will need an uncooked sausage that can be removed easily from the outer casing.
- Chicken broth - chicken bone broth, chicken stock, and vegetable broth will all work.
- Minced garlic, salt, Italian seasoning, black pepper
- Crushed tomatoes - you can also use whole peeled tomatoes, however we prefer to blend them before adding them into the soup.
- Onion
- Tortellini - use your favorite tortellini here, we usually buy the spinach tortellini from Trader Joe's. Any cheese-filled tortellini will be great! For a dairy-free option, try Kite Hill foods. We recommend fresh or frozen tortellini over dry tortellini.
- Chopped kale - kale or fresh spinach will work.
- Pesto - any fresh basil pesto will work, our favorite is the Kale Cashew Pesto from Trader Joe's or the Kirkland brand pesto from Costco. We also love to use our homemade pesto for this tortellini pesto soup.
- Unsweetened light coconut milk - you can find this in the canned section. Feel free to swap it for heavy cream.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Cutting board & knife
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Large soup pot
- Wooden spoon
Step by Step Directions
For the full recipe instructions for this pesto tortellini soup, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Place a large pot on the stove over medium high-heat. Add the olive oil. Once the olive oil is hot, add the Italian sausage. Let the sausage cook for 4-5 minutes, breaking the sausage into small pieces as it cooks.
Add the minced garlic, onion, carrots, salt, Italian seasoning, and black pepper to the pan. Let the mixture cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the onion and carrots have softened.
Add the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth and let the mixture come to a boil.
Once the soup is boiling, add the tortellini. Let the tortellini cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the tortellini float to the top of the soup and are fully cooked through. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the chopped kale, pesto, and unsweetened coconut milk.
Serve with toasted bread and fresh parmesan if desired.
Tips & Variations
- Serve the delicious soup with crusty bread.
- You can also add in other veggies to this recipe like carrots, red peppers, or zucchini if you prefer lots of vegetables.
- Feel free to top with parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.
- If you want to add additional tomato flavor, consider adding a few tablespoons of tomato paste.
FAQ
We recommend storing any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you plan to freeze the soup, we recommend waiting until the day you will serve it to add the tortellini.
Yes, you can use a different kind of meat! Ground chicken, ground turkey, ground beef, or rotisserie chicken will all work great.
For a gluten-free option, use a gluten-free tortellini. To make a dairy-free option, use a dairy-free tortellini and pesto. For a vegetarian version, leave out the meat and swap with white beans for added protein if desired.
If you like this delicious soup, check out a few of our other delicious recipes:
If you make this easy tortellini soup recipe, please let us know how it turns out in the comments below and/or rate the recipe! Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram to show us your finished product—it makes our day every time we see you trying the recipes we love!
Creamy Pesto Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 lb Italian sausage, casing removed (pork, chicken, or turkey)
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1, 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 10 oz fresh tortellini
- 1-2 cups chopped kale or spinach (optional)
- 2 tbsp pesto
- 1/2 cup unsweetened light coconut milk (can swap with heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk)
- Optional: parmesan cheese for topping the soup
Instructions
- Place a large pot on the stove over medium high heat. Add the olive oil. Once the olive oil is hot, add the Italian sausage. Let the sausage cook for 4-5 minutes, breaking the sausage into small pieces as it cooks.
- Add the minced garlic, onion, carrots, salt, Italian seasoning, and black pepper to the pan. Let the mixture cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the onion and carrots have softened.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth and let the mixture come to a boil. Once the soup is boiling, add the tortellini. Let the tortellini cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the tortellini float to the top of the soup and are fully cooked through. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the chopped kale, pesto, and unsweetened coconut milk. You can also top with parmesan if desired.
Notes
The recipe can be found on My Fitness Pal by searching "BWB Pesto Tortellini Soup." The nutrition is calculated using the Trader Joe's chicken sausage.
The nutrition content provided for each recipe is an estimate created through the My Fitness Pal database. Please be aware that the nutritional content of each recipe may vary based on the products you use, the precision of your measurements, and the source you use to obtain nutrition data. While we try to provide accurate information, we give no guarantee regarding the accuracy of the nutritional information provided.
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