Tortellini Beef Soup (Printable version)

Creamy basil broth with beef, cheese tortellini, and tomatoes for a warm, comforting meal.

# Needed ingredients:

→ Meats

01 - 1 lb lean ground beef

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
05 - 2 cups baby spinach (optional)

→ Broth & Dairy

06 - 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
07 - 1 cup heavy cream
08 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste

→ Pasta

09 - 10 oz fresh or refrigerated cheese tortellini

→ Herbs & Seasonings

10 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
11 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
13 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
14 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Garnish

15 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
16 - Fresh basil leaves for serving

# How to make it:

01 - Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned and no longer pink, breaking it apart as it cooks. Drain excess fat if necessary.
02 - Add diced onion to the pot and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Incorporate tomato paste, diced tomatoes with juices, dried basil, oregano, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes while stirring frequently.
04 - Pour in beef broth and bring mixture to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes to meld flavors.
05 - Stir in heavy cream, bringing the soup back to a gentle simmer.
06 - Add cheese tortellini and cook according to package instructions, typically 4 to 6 minutes, until tortellini float and are tender.
07 - If desired, stir in baby spinach and cook just until wilted, approximately 1 minute.
08 - Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
09 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves. Serve hot.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • A complete weeknight dinner that comes together in under an hour without fussy techniques.
  • The creamy tomato broth tastes like you simmered it all day, even though you didn't.
  • Ground beef stretches further here than it would in any other form, feeding six people generously.
02 -
  • If you add the tortellini too early, they'll fall apart and release their cheese into the broth, which isn't necessarily bad but changes the whole texture of the soup.
  • Don't let the soup boil rapidly after you add the cream, or you might end up with a curdled, broken sauce instead of a silky one.
03 -
  • If you can find fresh tortellini at a good Italian market or grocery store, they make an enormous difference compared to frozen, and they cook faster too.
  • Always taste the soup before serving and adjust the seasonings, because different broths and brands of cream have different salt levels, and you might need just a tiny pinch more of basil or a crack more black pepper to make it sing.
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