Vegetarian Tortellini Soup

I could eat soup every single day. Not just during colder months; I love it even on a blistering hot day in the middle of July. My family thinks that is super weird so I rarely make a batch of soup in the summer since I would be the only one eating it. I tend to go for more store-bought smaller portions during the summer. But nothing beats fresh homemade soup.

We are well into soup season now so I have been sure to make all of my favorites. A new one I have added to my list this year is an easy and delicious tortellini soup. It is vegetarian which means even my non meat-eating daughter can enjoy with us. I am not one to take on overly complex recipes and this one turned out to be right up my ally, simple and delicious.

I made this on a weeknight after work and it was fast enough to get on the table in right around 20 minutes (I had everything pre-chopped which saved time).

Here is what you will need:

Onion– ¾ to 1 depending on size of onion. Ours were huge so I used ¾.
Celery– 3 pieces
Carrots– ¼ cup
Italian Seasoning– eyeball to season
Salt & Pepper– eyeball to season
Garlic cloves– 5. I use the jarred kind and it was perfectly fine.
Diced Tomatoes– 2 cans (I used one can of Rotels and 1 regular diced)
Vegetable Broth– 4 cups
Water– 1 cup
Beans– You can really use any kind. I used one can of white kidney beans and one can of great northern beans.
Spinach– 1 large handful
Tortellini or ravioli– I used refrigerated cheese tortellini
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Immersion blender (optional)

Here is what you will do:

Dice your onion, celery and carrots
Add onion to a large pot
Once onion is fragrant, add in celery and carrots
Add in a sprinkling of Italian seasoning
Cook for about 5 minutes
Add in garlic
Add in diced tomatoes (I did not drain mine)
Add in vegetable broth
Add in water and give it all a good stir
Salt and pepper to your liking
Add in red chili flakes if using (just a pinch)
Bring to a boil
Add in beans (rinsed and drains)
Simmer for about 10 minutes
Optional step- use an immersion blender to get some of it smooth. However, I did this step and I really don’t know if it’s necessary.
Add in spinach
Add in tortellini/ravioli and cook until it’s done.
Garnish with more red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese