This Christmas tortellini soup is a quick, cozy bowl of cheese tortellini, tomatoes, white beans and spinach in a garlicky Italian-seasoned broth, red and green like the holidays. It makes two generous bowls in one small saucepan and is ready in about 30 minutes, which makes it just as handy on a busy December weeknight as on Christmas Eve. The key is adding the tortellini at the very end, so they cook right in the broth and land in your bowls tender rather than soft. I kept it to pantry staples and a bag of spinach, so it is easy to make whenever the weather turns cold.
Why you’ll like it
- Made for two: half a package of tortellini and one can of tomatoes give two hearty bowls, with no big pot of soup to work through.
- Ready in 30 minutes: 10 minutes of prep and a short simmer.
- One saucepan: the tortellini cook right in the soup, so there is no second pot of boiling water.
- Festive without fuss: red tomatoes and bright green spinach look like the season in a bowl.
- Mostly pantry: canned tomatoes, canned beans, broth and Italian seasoning, plus fresh tortellini or a bag from the freezer.
Why is it called Christmas tortellini soup?
The name comes from the colors: red tomatoes and green spinach floating around little pasta parcels, which look festive in a white bowl. Versions of the recipe have been passed around holiday cookbooks and recipe sites for years, usually as a simple, warming soup for a busy December evening or a light Christmas Eve supper.
Most of those recipes make a big pot for a crowd, and many start with pancetta, bacon or Italian sausage. This version keeps the tomatoes, spinach and cheese tortellini that give the soup its look and flavor, uses white beans for heartiness instead of cured meat, and scales everything down to two bowls.
What makes it work
A quick flavor base. Softening the onion in olive oil for 4 minutes, then blooming the garlic, Italian seasoning and a pinch of red pepper flakes for 1 minute, gives a small pot of soup a lot of flavor without any meat.
Diced tomatoes with their juices. The juice from the can becomes part of the broth, so the soup tastes of tomato without turning thick like a sauce. A short 5-minute simmer is enough to bring the broth, tomatoes and beans together.
Cannellini beans for body. Creamy white beans make the soup filling enough for dinner and stand in for the pancetta or sausage many versions use.
Tortellini last, spinach after. Tortellini only need a few minutes, and they keep soaking up broth once they are done. Adding them near the end, then wilting the spinach for about a minute, means everything is perfectly cooked at the moment you ladle it out.
How it’s sized for two
The usual pot uses a 9-ounce package of tortellini or more for six to eight people. Here, half that package makes two bowls that are a full meal each. The other half keeps in its package in the fridge until its date, or in the freezer if it was frozen to begin with.
One 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes is just right with 2 cups of broth, so you use the whole can. The beans are the one ingredient with a remainder: the soup takes about half a can. Keep the rest covered in the fridge and toss them into a salad, a pasta or another soup within a few days. A 3-quart saucepan holds everything comfortably with room to stir.
Ingredients for Christmas tortellini soup
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below. Here is what to look for.
- Cheese tortellini: refrigerated tortellini cook fastest; frozen tortellini work too and go straight into the pot without thawing. Any cheese filling is fine.
- Diced tomatoes: plain canned diced tomatoes with their juices. Fire-roasted tomatoes add a slightly smoky flavor if you like it.
- Broth: low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, so the Parmesan can season the soup without making it too salty. Vegetable broth keeps it meat-free.
- Cannellini beans: rinse and drain them so the broth stays clear.
- Baby spinach: tender leaves wilt in about a minute and need no chopping.
- Onion, garlic and Italian seasoning: the flavor base. The red pepper flakes are optional and add only a gentle warmth.
- Parmesan: stirred in at the end for a savory, slightly creamy finish, with more on top.
How to make Christmas tortellini soup
- Soften the onion in olive oil, then add the garlic, Italian seasoning and pepper flakes.
- Add the broth, tomatoes, beans, salt and pepper and simmer briefly.
- Simmer the tortellini in the soup until tender.
- Wilt the spinach, stir in the Parmesan and season to taste.
- Ladle into two bowls and top with more Parmesan.
Step-by-step notes
Softening the onion. Chop the onion finely so it melts into the broth. After 4 minutes over medium heat it should be soft and translucent but not browned. The garlic and spices need only 1 minute, until you can smell them.
Cooking the tortellini. Bring the soup back to a gentle simmer before the tortellini go in, then give them 4 to 5 minutes. Refrigerated tortellini are usually ready at the shorter time and frozen ones at the longer. Bite into one: the pasta should be tender all the way to the edges and the filling hot.
Finishing. Stir in the spinach and take the pot off the heat as soon as it wilts and turns bright green. Stir in the Parmesan, taste and add a pinch of salt only if it needs it.
Tips and variations
- Serve it right away. Tortellini keep drinking up broth as they sit, so have the bowls ready when the spinach goes in.
- Make it meat-free. Use vegetable broth; nothing else needs to change.
- Swap the greens. Finely chopped kale works instead of spinach; give it a few extra minutes to soften.
- Adjust the heat. Leave out the red pepper flakes for a mild soup, or add another pinch.
- Taste before salting. Broth, Parmesan and canned tomatoes all bring salt, so season at the end.
What to serve with it
A bowl of this soup is a complete meal, so the sides can be simple.
- Crusty bread or garlic bread for dipping into the tomato broth.
- A green salad with a simple vinaigrette for crunch.
- Extra Parmesan and black pepper at the table.
On a December evening, two steaming red-and-green bowls on the table make a quiet night in feel a little like a celebration.
Storage and reheating
This soup is best fresh, but leftovers keep. Refrigerate them in an airtight container within 2 hours and eat them within 3 to 4 days.
The tortellini continue to absorb broth in the fridge, so the soup will be thicker the next day. Add a splash of broth or water when you reheat it on the stove, and heat it until it is hot throughout (165°F).
Two bowls, one small pot and a little holiday color: that is all this soup needs to brighten a cold evening. Pour a couple of bowls and enjoy it together.
Frequently asked questions
Is Christmas tortellini soup made with spinach?
Yes. Spinach is the green in the red-and-green soup. Baby spinach wilts in about a minute at the end, so it stays bright.
Can I use frozen tortellini?
Yes. Add them straight from the freezer and simmer for the full 5 minutes, until they are tender all the way through.
How do I keep the tortellini from getting soggy?
Add them near the end and serve the soup as soon as the spinach wilts. For leftovers, add a splash of broth when reheating, because the tortellini absorb liquid as they sit.
What is in traditional Christmas tortellini soup?
Most versions combine cheese tortellini with tomatoes, spinach, broth and Parmesan, and many add pancetta, bacon or sausage. This version uses cannellini beans for body instead.
Print
Christmas Tortellini Soup for Two
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 large bowls
Description
Christmas tortellini soup made for two: cheese tortellini, diced tomatoes, cannellini beans and spinach in a garlicky Italian-seasoned broth, ready in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, with their juices
- 3/4 cup canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 4 1/2 ounces refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini (half of a 9-ounce package)
- 2 cups baby spinach, lightly packed
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more to serve
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add the broth, diced tomatoes with their juices, cannellini beans, salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the tortellini and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, until tender (frozen tortellini take the longer time).
- Stir in the spinach and cook for about 1 minute, just until wilted. Stir in the Parmesan, then taste and add salt if needed.
- Ladle into two bowls and top with more Parmesan.
Notes
Equipment: 3-quart saucepan, wooden spoon, ladle
- Vegetable broth makes the soup meat-free.
- Kale works in place of spinach; chop it finely and give it a few extra minutes.
- Use the remaining cannellini beans within 3 to 4 days in a salad, pasta or another soup; keep them covered in the fridge.
- Tortellini keep absorbing broth as they sit, so serve the soup right away.
- Doneness: The tortellini are ready when they are tender all the way through and the filling is hot.
- Doneness: The spinach is ready as soon as it wilts and turns bright green.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days. The tortellini absorb broth as the soup sits, so add a splash of broth when reheating, and reheat until hot throughout (165°F).
- Do not leave the soup at room temperature for more than 2 hours (USDA FSIS).
- Reheat leftovers until hot throughout, 165°F.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
