Easy Tortellini and White Bean Soup

This easy tortellini soup is hearty, filling and full of flavour. A quick weeknight meal. Beans and kale add protein and nutrition.

Tortellini soup may be the only acceptable use for store-bought tortellini. 

Store-bought Tortellini is not just for pasta

I confess that I used to buy a package of stuffed pasta almost weekly. I’d switch it up between ravioli and tortellini, spinach filled or just cheese.  I believed my family thought this was interesting. I believed they appreciated my limited efforts. I believed this was a reasonable solution to those crazy weeknights when I couldn’t be bothered to think of something better to make.

But then, over time,  the leftovers never seemed to disappear.  The kids didn’t finish what was on their plates. My husband would come home late and make himself something else to eat.  Everyone refused the leftovers for lunch. I was in a rut.

Me a food rut? How did that happen?

So I said “No More!”  No more packaged tortellini tossed with a bland jar of pasta sauce. No. We can do better than this. Dinner should be interesting and creative. Not boring and not left behind.  I stopped buying stuffed pasta. Just like that. No more.

Then I discovered this!

Tortellini Soup!

Tricks and Tips for dinner fast

So you need to know a few things, a few tips and tricks I have learned that help get dinner on the table quickly. Short cuts I guess we can call them.

1. Use a flavourful canned diced tomato – in this case, I used “Crack Black Pepper and Roasted Garlic” diced tomatoes plus a large can of no salt added diced tomatoes. No need for onions or garlic. It's all in the tomatoes! Use your favourite flavoured or diced tomato variety. Not having to chop onions and garlic can be a huge timesaver.
2. While the liquid cooks and comes to a boil with the veggies, cook the tortellini in a separate pot. Talk about multi-tasking. This also keeps the soup from getting too thick from the pasta starch. I know, that means you will have to wash both pots, but trust me it's faster this way.

More 30-minute vegetarian pasta dinner recipes

We can all use a few recipes that we keep in our back pocket to help us get through busy weeknights. Along with this quick tortellini soup, here are a few more favourtie recipes I keep handy for crazy nigh:

Your game plan for a quick dinner

Cook the pasta in a separate pot

In a soup pot dump everything else in, bring to a boil. Then just turn it off the heat. The kale will wilt during the quick boil. When the pasta is done, just stir into the soup. 

Dinner done!

4.5 from 2 votes

Easy Tortellini and White Bean Soup with Kale

Cheese tortellini, navy beans, kale and tomatoes makes a simple and full flavour mid-week soup

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time20 mins

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 354kcal

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon of olive oil
• 4 ribs celery thinly sliced
• 14 oz can of flavoured diced tomatoes – Cracked Black Pepper and Roasted Garlic
• 28 oz can of no salt added diced tomatoes
• 1 19 oz can of navy beans or other white beans rinsed and drained
• 1 litre box of vegetable both or 4 cups of water
• 2 cups water
• 5 cups sliced kale or other greens – escarole or spinach
• 1 350g package of cheese tortellini
• parmesan cheese as desired optional

Instructions

• Cook tortellini according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot over medium heat, sauté celery in olive oil until just slightly tender about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth, beans,water and greens (unless using spinach – if using spinach add at the very end with the pasta, and then just stir until it wilts).  Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
• Drain pasta and stir into soup. Serve.

Notes

Use a flavourful canned diced tomato – in this case, I used “Crack Black Pepper and Roasted Garlic” diced tomatoes plus a large can of no salt added diced tomatoes. No need for onions or garlic. It's all in the tomatoes! Use your favourite flavoured or diced tomato variety.

While the liquid cooks and comes to a boil with the veggies, cook the tortellini in a separate pot. Talk about multi-tasking. This also keeps the soup from getting too thick from the pasta starch.

Calories: 354kcal (18%) Carbohydrates: 57g (19%) Protein: 20g (40%) Fat: 7g (11%) Saturated Fat: 2g (13%) Cholesterol: 22mg (7%) Sodium: 799mg (35%) Potassium: 788mg (23%) Fiber: 9g (38%) Sugar: 7g (8%) Vitamin A: 6009IU (120%) Vitamin C: 81mg (98%) Calcium: 272mg (27%) Iron: 6mg (33%)

Trish | The In Fine Balance Food Blog

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