Creamy ricotta-filled vegan tortellini swimming in a delicious tomato-based broth along with mushrooms, chickpeas, and spinach. This delicious plant-based soup is super filling and easy to make in less than one hour!
A bowl of this delicious soup hits the spot every time! It's loaded with vegetables like onions, celery, mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic, and spinach, and it's packed with plant-based protein in the form of tender chickpeas. The tortellini are floating in the tomato-based broth like little pillowy clouds and they are filled with creamy, dairy-free, almond ricotta. This soup is satisfying, easy to make, and ready to eat in less than 1 hour!
Is Tortellini Vegan?
Most are not vegan because they usually have a dairy-based filling. However, this isn't a problem because you can buy store-bought vegan tortellini or you can make them homemade using this recipe.
I did not want to make them from scratch, so I used pre-made Kite Hill tortellini from Whole Foods. I've made this recipe using this vegan ricotta tortellini and this spinach tortellini, both flavors are creamy and delicious!
Ingredients & Substitutions
This soup is pretty simple to make with a combination of fresh vegetables, canned beans, and store-bought vegan tortellini. Let's go over the most important ingredients and substitutes that can be used.
- Vegan Tortellini - To keep this recipe simple and easy to make, I used store-bought vegan ricotta tortellini. If you don't want to make the filled pasta pockets from scratch or if you can't find this product at your grocery store, you can substitute any type of regular pasta that you like. Bowties, fusilli, or elbows would work perfectly.
- Chickpeas - I used two cans of chickpeas, but you can use any kind of beans that you have on hand. Great northern beans or cannellini beans would be my next choice. If you want to use dried beans, you'll need 1 cup dried beans to = 3 cups of cooked canned beans.
- Spinach - I used fresh spinach, but you can use any type of fresh or frozen greens you like. Kale or collard greens would also be delicious.
How to Make Vegan Tortellini Soup
First, you need to saute the onions, celery, and mushrooms until they start to soften (Photo 1). Then add the garlic, tomato paste, and dried seasonings and let it cook for a minute (Photo 2) to meld the flavors (Photo 3). Next, add the liquid, maple syrup, diced tomatoes, and chickpeas to the pot and bring it to a simmer. Reduce the heat and let it cook until everything is tender (Photo 4).
Stir in the lemon juice and fresh spinach (Photo 5). Let the heat wilt the spinach just a little bit. The vegan tortellini should only take 3-4 minutes to cook, so try to time it out so they are ready at the same time the soup is ready to eat (Photo 6).
Serving Suggestions
You can dump all of the cooked tortellini directly into the pot and stir it in before serving, or you can put a scoop into each bowl and then ladle the hot soup over the filled pasta.
I like to serve this vegan tortellini soup with a big salad and a couple of slices of crusty no-knead whole wheat bread for dipping and soaking up the broth. If you want to serve something more substantial with it, any of the following side dishes would be delicious!
- Roasted Potatoes
- Lemon Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower
- Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted Rosemary Garlic Radishes
How Long Will it Last in the Refrigerator?
Store the leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. I prefer to store the cooked tortellini in a separate container from the soup so the pasta doesn't absorb the broth.
Can I Freeze it?
Yes, this soup freezes perfectly! Put in in an airtight container or in a ziploc bag and lay it down flat on a tray to freeze in a solid layer. Then you can take it off the tray and store it wherever it fits in the freezer. You can freeze the cooked vegan tortellini in the soup or in a separate container.
How to Reheat it
Take the container or bag out of the freezer and put it in the fridge to defrost for 24 hours. Then you can reheat it in a covered bowl in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, or in a medium saucepan over medium heat on the stovetop, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. When reheating, put the cooked vegan tortellini in the bowl or pan with the rest of the soup, you don't need to reheat them separately.
Success Tips
- Cook the vegan tortellini in a separate pot and then add it to each individual bowl when serving so the pasta won't absorb all the broth in the pot.
- Wait to add the (fresh or frozen) spinach to the pot until the last few minutes of cooking. You don't need to cook the spinach, you just want it to wilt a little bit but still retain its bright green color.
- Store the leftover soup separately from the pasta in the fridge so the pasta won't get mushy.
Want More Vegan Pasta Recipes?
Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Hummus Pasta
Vegan Tortellini Soup
Equipment
- 6-Quart Dutch Oven or Large Soup Pot
- Medium Pot
Ingredients
- ½ cup water or broth (to saute)
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 ½ cups celery diced
- 8 oz mushrooms quartered
- 6 medium garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp chili pepper flakes
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 18 oz diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- (2) 14 oz cans chickpeas
- 5 oz fresh spinach
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 9 oz vegan tortellini
Instructions
- In a 6-quart dutch oven over medium heat, saute the onion and celery in ½ cup of broth or water for 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Add more liquid if the pot gets too dry.
- Add the minced garlic, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and let it cook for 1 minute to let the flavors meld.
- Next, add 4 cups vegetable broth, 1 cup water, diced tomatoes with the juice, maple syrup, and chickpeas. Increase the heat to high and bring it to a simmer. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium. Let it cook for 20 minutes.
- While the soup is cooking, cook the tortellini in a separate pot of boiling water. Drain any excess water. Try to time it so the pasta is ready at the same time that the soup is ready.
- Lastly, add the lemon juice and stir in the fresh spinach. Let the heat from the soup wilt the spinach for a few minutes. Taste and add more salt or pepper if necessary. To serve, put a scoop of the cooked tortellini in each bowl and top it with a few ladles of the hot soup.
Notes
- If you can't find store-bought vegan tortellini, you can make it from scratch or substitute any type of pasta.
- Cook the tortellini in a separate pot so it doesn't absorb all the broth in the soup. If you decide to cook the pasta in the soup, make sure to add extra water for it to soak up.
- Store the leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Store the tortellini in a separate container so they won't get mushy in the soup.
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