Spring Vegetable Tortellini Soup with Pesto

Building a pot of soup around two guaranteed crowd-pleasers—tortellini and pesto—makes this an excellent way for home cooks to get kids (and adults) to eat their veggies.

It starts with a brothy brew in which you cook vegetables and tortellini just until tender. Ladle it into bowls and top with a dollop of fresh pesto, which brightens the flavor as soon as it hits the hot liquid.

Soup With Fresh or Frozen Tortellini

The best part is this recipe is endlessly flexible. You can use fresh tortellini, which is available in the refrigerated section of the market where pasta sauces are sold, or frozen. Virtually any flavor variety will do, from cheese to spinach to mushroom.

If you can’t find tortellini, feel free to use fresh ravioli instead. Be sure to read the instructions, since the cooking time may differ.

Pesto Is a Flavor Bomb

This soup gets its oomph from the herb pesto, which gets stirred in at the last second. You can make your own pesto, using this classic basil recipe, this minty version, or our flavorful kale pesto.

The upside of homemade pesto is that the flavors are particularly bright and herbaceous when spooned straight from the food processor. Plus, the recipes all make more than you’ll need, so you can store leftovers in the fridge or freezer for another day.

Alternatively, give yourself a break and pick up store-bought pesto instead (there’s no shame in short cuts for the home cook!).

Swaps, Suggestions, and Substitutions

Like so many soups, this one lends itself to lots of substitutions and variations. Here are a few ideas:

• Add cooked Italian white beans or chickpeas for added fiber, protein, and heft.
• Play around with the vegetables. Add a handful of leafy greens at the very end, use a large sliced leek in place of the onion, or add a cup of halved cherry tomatoes.
• If you happen to have homemade chicken stock or store-bought chicken broth on hand, by all means, use it instead of vegetable broth.
• Got a parmesan rind in your fridge? Add it when you pour in the broth. It will season the soup nicely as it simmers. Remove the rind just before serving.
• Most pesto has cheese in it, but this walnut pesto version is dairy-free. So if you’re vegan or just want to avoid dairy use the walnut pesto.

How To Store and Freeze This Soup

Store leftover soup in a covered container in the fridge, where it will keep for a couple of days. The tortellini will soften and absorb more liquid as it sits, so you may want to add more broth the next day.

If you’re making this soup to freeze, I recommend you under-cook the tortellini a bit. It will continue to cook as you cool and reheat the soup. To freeze, let the soup cool, then transfer it to a covered container. Defrost it on the counter for up to two hours or in the fridge overnight.

More Easy Spring Soup Recipes

• Spring Minestrone Soup
• Easy Tuscan Bean Soup
• Vegan Mushroom Barley Soup
• Vegetable Lentil Soup
• Creamy Asparagus Soup