Description
A velvety, restaurant-quality soup made with jarred roasted red peppers, cheese tortellini, and heavy cream. It’s a quick, 30-minute weeknight dinner that is cozy, rich, and surprisingly easy to make.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian)
- 1 jar (12-14 oz) roasted red peppers, drained
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 package (9-12 oz) refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep ingredients: Dice onion, mince garlic, measure spices, and drain roasted red peppers.
- Heat butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes; cook for 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
- Pour in chicken broth, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Add roasted red peppers and Italian seasoning.
- Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove pot from heat. Use an immersion blender to puree half of the soup for a creamy texture while leaving some chunks for interest.
- Stir in heavy cream. Return pot to medium-low heat and bring to a gentle simmer (do not boil vigorously).
- Add tortellini and cook according to package directions (usually 3-5 minutes), stirring occasionally.
- Once tortellini is tender, stir in fresh spinach until wilted (about 30 seconds).
- Remove pot from heat entirely. Gradually stir in grated Parmesan cheese until melted and smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately, optionally topped with olive oil or extra Parmesan.
Notes
Do not overcook the tortellini as it will become mushy. Always remove the pot from heat before adding Parmesan to prevent the cheese from separating. If the soup is too thick, thin it with a splash of broth or milk. This soup does not freeze well due to the dairy and pasta texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 620
- Fat: 16
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 42
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 14
Keywords: tortellini soup, roasted red pepper soup, creamy soup, 30 minute dinner, easy weeknight meals, comfort food, vegetarian soup option