Instant Pot Tortellini Soup

This Instant Pot Tortellini Soup is super rich and creamy with cheesy tortellini, fresh baby spinach, and carrots. It’s perfect for a quick and easy, hearty meal for busy weeknight dinners. Can easily be made gluten-free with gluten-free tortellini.

For me, this wholesome and filling soup is perfect: it’s easy, it’s quick, it’s less mess, and takes no time to clean up! If you don’t have an Instant Pot, no problem, I’ve included stovetop directions.

I love meals that are quick and easy like this Instant Pot Turkey Breast. It just makes dinners easier to plan and cook. And if there are fewer pots to clean, even better!

That’s why I love this tortellini soup. It’s so easy, healthy and doesn’t require my presence in the kitchen all day. It’s ready in 30 minutes and is both filling and scrumptious!

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• Celery
• Carrots
• Yellow onion
• Garlic
• Frozen cheese tortellini
• Broth (chicken or vegetable)
• Water
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• Fresh baby spinach
• Heavy cream

How to make Instant Pot Tortellini Soup:

Turn the Instant Pot to saute and heat the oil. Add in the celery, carrots, and onions and cook.

Add the garlic and cook a bit more. Add the tortellini, broth, water, salt, and pepper and cook.

When the instant pot has finished, release the pressure manually.

 

Add the spinach and cream and stir.

 

Garnish and serve

In just 30 minutes, you can serve up a wholesome one-pot meal that tastes warm and cozy.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

I used frozen cheesy tortellini for convenience, and it works exceptionally well. You can also use fresh tortellini if you prefer with the same cook time.

 

Stove Top directions for tortellini soup:

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can still make this tortellini soup easily on the stovetop.

Just saute the onions in a little olive oil, then add the garlic and saute a bit more. Then add the stock, the celery and carrots, and bring to a boil. Once the carrots are soft, add the tortellini.

The tortellini should be submerged, so if you need to add more liquid, add more stock to the pot. Turn the heat on medium-high, and bring it to a boil. Once it boils (in about 5 minutes), reduce heat to simmer and cook until the tortellini starts to float.

At this point, to keep the heavy cream from curdling when you add it to the hot soup base, add a pinch of baking soda, then the heavy cream and spinach. You may notice a little fizz, but that’s normal, just stir, then serve.

Don’t add the heavy cream if the soup is boiling, that is a sure-fire way of getting a curdled soup and we don’t want that. Instead, add the heavy cream once the tortellini have simmered and the soup base has cooled.

 

Can I add protein?

Sure! Italian sausage would be a great addition. First, brown the meat and drain the grease before adding it to the Instant Pot. It will add more flavor and character and you know the meat will be cooked through. It’s an extra step but doesn’t require much effort.

Pressure cooking infuses all the great flavors, and adding Italian sausage will add to the soup’s tasty heartiness.

Can I use dried tortellini?

Yes, I used frozen tortellini, but you can use dried or fresh tortellini if you like. However, unlike fresh or frozen tortellini, if you use dried tortellini, you will need to make some adjustments.

First, you need to adjust the cooking time to half of what is mentioned in the instructions on the pasta box. Plus, you need a little more stock. Instead of the 3 cups of broth, I would start with 5 cups of liquid. You can add more if needed once the cooking cycle is completed.

Dried pasta can really absorb the broth, so just make sure to add that extra liquid on the front end.

 

What can I substitute for tortellini?

Fresh or frozen ravioli works great, too. You can use any pasta you have on hand really. But if you use dried pasta, then you need to follow the steps above using dried tortellini.

Can I add more veggies?

Certainly! You can make this soup as satisfying and hearty as you like. You might like to throw in some potatoes, zucchini, corn, broccoli, green beans or mushrooms. 

If you’re adding frozen corn or peas, I’d wait to throw them in until towards the end, just to heat them thoroughly.

You can also substitute spinach with kale if you prefer. Or leave it out altogether if you like. I would suggest using fresh spinach though and not canned or frozen to get the freshest flavor.

If you like your soup with a little kick, you can add some red pepper flakes to give it a little more umph! Or if you’re in the southwest, add some roasted green chilis for an extra delight.

I also think garnishing this soup with a bit of grated parmesan would be superb! It’ll add a little extra texture and taste.

 

Can I make this soup gluten-free?

Yes, all you need is gluten-free tortellini. If you have a hard time finding it, you can use your gluten-free pasta or even try gnocchi.

You can find gluten-free tortellini at Whole Foods Market or Target or order them online. The Gluten-free Mall has a big assortment of gluten-free products including 4-cheese tortellini!

Can I freeze this tortellini soup?

Yes and no! I am not a fan of freezing cooked pasta. It just gets mushy. But you do have some options!

You can make the base of the soup in the instant pot minus the tortellini, heavy cream, and spinach, and freeze it to make later. Let the veggies and broth and spices pressure cook for 5 minutes (after pressure has built up). Depressurize it and let the soup base cool completely.

Then you can transfer to freezer-safe bags, squeeze out all of the air, seal and store it in the freezer for 2 or 3 months.

When you’re ready for the Tortellini soup, just thaw the soup base overnight in the fridge. Add the base to the Instant Pot.

Press the button on “saute” – set to ‘normal’ and bring the soup base to a boil. Add in the tortellini and once they start to float you can add the spinach and cream, stir, garnish and serve.

 

Do I have to use heavy cream?

No, you can sub half-and-half if you are wanting to reduce some calories. I wouldn’t use skim milk because this soup is meant to be a hearty creamy soup and if you use skim milk, it will be more like milky broth, which might be ok for you, but I just prefer that super creamy base.

I’m not sure about using coconut milk as there would likely be some coconut taste to the soup.

You can omit the dairy altogether if you like. I think it would be just as delicious, just not creamy.

Other hearty recipes:

If you like this Instant Pot tortellini soup, you might also like these other recipes:

Using an Instant Pot:

These Instant Pot Potatoes Colcannon are traditional Irish mashed potatoes that are packed with flavor using cabbage or kale. It’s incredibly easy to make and can be made vegan, Whole30 or paleo.

This Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip is a crowd-pleaser. It’s super cheesy and great for parties.

If you have a slow cooker, this Venison Chili is amazing. It’s perfectly spiced for cold winter nights.

Using a stovetop or slow cooker:

This Corn Chowder is another super creamy soup that adds the freshest tastes of harvest. It’s made with fresh corn, sweet onions, potatoes, fresh thyme and bits of bacon.

This Healthy Taco Soup is a family favorite. It’s hearty and satisfying and perfect for the season. It’s naturally gluten-free and freezes great!

This Kid-friendly Chili has secret hidden (pureed) veggies and is perfectly spiced for the little ones.

I hope you enjoy this Instant Pot Tortellini Soup. If you make it or any other recipe you find here, I would love to see pics and hear about your experience. Just tag 📸 and follow #fooddoodlesrecipes so that I can find them easily. Enjoy!