Description
This hearty Tortellini Soup features tender ground beef, fresh vegetables, and cheese tortellini in a flavorful tomato and chicken broth base, enhanced with Italian seasoning and fresh parsley. It’s a comforting, easy-to-make meal perfect for family dinners or meal prepping.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
Vegetables and Herbs
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 2 cups (2 oz) spinach, roughly chopped
- 3 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
Liquids and Canned Goods
- 3 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
- 3 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Seasonings
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Pasta
- 1 (9 oz) pkg. cheese tortellini
Instructions
- Heat and brown beef: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground beef into chunks and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn and break up the beef, cooking until no longer pink. Transfer beef to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving about 1 1/2 Tbsp of fat in the pot.
- Sauté vegetables: Add chopped onions, diced celery, and carrots to the pot. Cook until the vegetables start to soften, about 7 minutes. Then add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
- Add liquids and seasonings: Pour in the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and return the cooked beef to the pot. Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook stirring occasionally until vegetables are nearly tender, about 15 minutes.
- Cook tortellini separately: For leftovers, reduce broth to 4 1/4 cups to avoid soup overflow. Cook tortellini separately in boiling water for 4-7 minutes according to package instructions. Drain and toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Add tortellini and greens: If cooking fresh, add tortellini directly into the soup for the last 4-7 minutes of cooking. Stir in the chopped spinach and parsley and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. For leftovers, add tortellini separately when reheating the soup.
- Serve: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and serve immediately. Garnish with extra parsley if desired.
Notes
- Cooking tortellini separately helps prevent it from becoming mushy in leftovers.
- Use low-sodium chicken broth to control the salt content in the soup.
- Fresh spinach can be substituted with frozen spinach if fresh is unavailable; adjust cooking time accordingly.
- This soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; for longer storage, freeze without tortellini.
- Adjust seasoning at the end of cooking to your preference, especially salt and pepper.
