Hearty Beef Tortellini Soup (Printable)

Ground beef and cheese tortellini simmered in creamy tomato basil broth, perfect for warming dinners.

# What You'll Need:

→ 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 tbsp tomato paste

→ Pasta

09 - 10 oz fresh or refrigerated cheese tortellini

→ Herbs & Seasonings

10 - 1 tsp dried basil
11 - ½ tsp dried oregano
12 - ½ tsp salt, or to taste
13 - ¼ tsp black pepper
14 - ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Garnish

15 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
16 - Fresh basil leaves, for serving

# How to Make It:

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

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's the kind of soup that tastes like you've been cooking all day, even though you haven't.
  • The cream softens everything into something genuinely cozy without feeling heavy.
  • You can throw it together on a Wednesday and still impress yourself.
02 -
  • Drain your ground beef properly or the soup will taste greasy, which changes everything.
  • Don't add the tortellini until you're ready to serve because they continue absorbing liquid and can turn mushy if they sit in the broth.
  • Taste as you go, especially with the herbs, because dried basil and oregano vary wildly in strength between brands.
03 -
  • Don't skip browning the beef properly—that's where all the flavor starts, and rushing it makes everything taste flat.
  • Let the broth simmer those 10 minutes by itself before adding cream; it's the difference between soup that tastes assembled and soup that tastes intentional.
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