Tortellini Beef Soup (Printer-friendly)

Savory tortellini and ground beef simmered with cherry tomatoes in a creamy, flavorful broth.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 14 oz ground beef

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 9 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 2 cups baby spinach (optional)

→ Pasta

06 - 10 oz cheese tortellini, fresh or refrigerated

→ Broth & Dairy

07 - 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
08 - 1 cup heavy cream

→ Seasonings

09 - 2 tbsp olive oil
10 - 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
11 - ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

13 - ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
14 - Fresh basil or parsley, chopped (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it apart with a spoon, about 5 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
02 - Add chopped onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Incorporate halved cherry tomatoes, dried Italian herbs, and crushed red pepper flakes if using. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until tomatoes soften.
04 - Pour in beef broth and bring mixture to a gentle boil.
05 - Add cheese tortellini and cook according to package instructions, usually 4 to 6 minutes, until al dente.
06 - Reduce heat to low. Stir in heavy cream and baby spinach if using. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes until heated through and spinach wilts.
07 - Adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.
08 - Serve soup in bowls garnished with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and chopped basil or parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes, which means weeknight dinner that actually feels like you tried.
  • Ground beef stretches so much further in a soup, making this genuinely economical without tasting budget-conscious.
  • The heavy cream mellows everything into a comforting warmth that feels more indulgent than it has any right to be.
02 -
  • Add the cream after the soup is off the boil—a rolling boil can cause it to separate and look curdled, even though it's still perfectly good to eat.
  • Don't overcook the tortellini in the soup itself; they continue to soften as they sit in the broth, so slightly underdone is your target.
  • Taste before you garnish, because Parmesan is salty and you don't want to oversalt a pot that's already perfectly balanced.
03 -
  • Brown the beef in batches if your pot is small; crowding it steams instead of browning, which changes the whole flavor.
  • If the soup breaks and the cream separates, whisk in a teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with a little cold water and cook gently for 2 minutes until it thickens and comes back together.
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