Instant Pot Tortellini Soup

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Instant Pot tortellini soup is a quick and easy lunch or dinner. Filled with vegetables, it comes together quickly for a great meat-free meal.

I would probably eat some kind of soup every day if I could. 

Whether it’s creamy baked potato soup, hearty chicken wild rice soup, or fresh carrot fennel soup, a bowl warms me down to my toes and keeps me going through the day.

My family loves soup too, particularly if there is some fresh French bread to dip.

We especially enjoy soups that are quick to prepare, particularly on nights we’ve forgotten to plan ahead for dinner but want to skip hitting the takeout.

This tortellini soup is a great go-to because it’s made with frozen cheese tortellini that we always keep stocked.

Plus it’s made in the Instant Pot, so it’s incredibly quick, just like this easy recipe for Asian short ribs.

With just a few standard soup veggies, some dried herbs, and broth, dinner is ready in no time. It’s one of my favorite easy and economical meals!

Ingredients for easy tortellini soup

You’ll need the following ingredients for this soup, plus your chosen oil for sautéing the vegetables.

Frozen cheese tortellini – You’ll need a 10-ounce bag of frozen tortellini. 

While I opt for cheese, you can swap in any flavor of tortellini you like. 

You can also use refrigerated or dried tortellini instead of frozen. Note that dried tortellini will take slightly longer to cook than frozen.

Vegetable broth – To keep this soup vegetarian, go for vegetable stock/broth rather than chicken. I like to make my own vegetable stock using veggie scraps!

Carrots – 1-2 carrots is all you need. I cut my carrots into half moons or coins for soup.

Celery – While some don’t like celery, I enjoy it in soups. If you skip the celery, just add more carrots!

Onion – Use white or yellow onion. Do not use red onion, or a sweet variety like Vidalia.

Garlic – Add 1-3 cloves of garlic, depending on the size and how much you like it. I always go for more.

Diced tomatoes – You can use canned or fresh chopped tomatoes. If you want smaller chunks, use petite diced tomatoes. Be sure to save the juices and add them to the soup as well.

Herbs and spices – This soup has dried thyme, dried rosemary, crushed red chile flakes, and salt and pepper.

You can add other herbs you love, like oregano, marjoram, or basil. 

Fresh spinach – I like to add baby spinach or chopped kale to this tortellini soup. The greens will wilt down a lot, so feel free to add extra if you like.

Garnishes – I love topping soups with fresh grated cheese, so don’t forget to serve with parmesan and some freshly chopped parsley.

How to make cheese tortellini soup

Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the Instant Pot (I use olive oil) and set to Saute.

Add the chopped carrots, celery, and onion and cook for about 5 minutes to soften.

Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Turn off the Instant Pot and add the vegetable broth, frozen tortellini, tomatoes, and spices. Stir well.

Place on the Instant Pot lid and make sure the valve is set to Seal.

Set to Manual High Pressure and reduce the time to 5 minutes.

Note that depending on your Instant Pot model, it can take 10-15 minutes for it to come to pressure. 

While it is coming to pressure and cooking, chop some fresh parsley and grate parmesan cheese for garnish.

Once the timer goes off, quick release the pressure on the valve and remove the lid.

Add the baby spinach and stir well to make it wilt. Serve with grated parmesan and parsley to garnish.

Can I make this on the stove?

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, this soup can be simmered on the stove in a stock pot or dutch oven. 

Saute the vegetables and add the broth, tomatoes, and spices and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the tortellini and continue to simmer another 5-10 minutes, until pasta is done to your liking.

Storage tips

Instant Pot tortellini soup is best served immediately. The longer the soup rests, the more liquid will be absorbed by the pasta.

If needed, put any leftovers in an airtight container and reheat on the stove or microwave. You can keep the tortellini separate from the rest of the soup to prevent the pasta from being waterlogged.

To freeze this soup, make it without the tortellini then freeze. Add the tortellini when reheating the soup, simmering until cooked through.

Recipe suggestions

This soup is vegetarian as written, but you can easily make it into tortellini spinach sausage soup with the addition of Italian sausage.

Simply sauté 8 ounces of sweet or hot Italian sausage along with the vegetables, until browned, before adding the rest of the ingredients.

Make it creamy tortellini soup by swapping ½ cup of the broth for heavy cream. Add it at the end with the spinach, stirring to warm through.

To make it spicier, use Ro-tel style tomatoes with chiles, or sauté chopped fresh jalapeño with the vegetables.

Or, add more crushed red pepper flakes to taste. You can also serve with hot sauce on the side.

Be sure to serve it with some bread for dipping up that broth, like cheesy garlic bread or a soft dinner roll!

More easy soup recipes

Try a bowl of these soups!

• Black Bean Soup
• Persimmon Sweet Potato Soup
• Beef Bulgur Soup
• White Bean Sausage Soup
• Carrot Miso Soup