Tomato soup with cheese tortellini cooked right in it, which turns a starter into dinner without a second pan.
The base looks after itself for four hours; everything that needs judgement happens in the last twenty minutes.
Why This Recipe Works
- Three tomato products do three jobs — crushed for body, sauce for smoothness, paste for concentrated depth. One alone tastes thinner than all three.
- A single teaspoon of sugar is not there to sweeten the soup. It offsets the acidity of tinned tomatoes, which is why the finished bowl does not taste sharp.
- Cream cheese alongside the cream gives the soup a body that cream alone does not, and it holds that body when reheated.
- Cooking the tortellini in the soup means they release starch into it, thickening it slightly at exactly the point you want it thicker.
The Base, Then Three Finishes
Four hours of this recipe are a tomato base looking after itself. The last hour is three separate additions, and each one has a reason it cannot happen sooner.
Stage 1 of 5
Sweat, if you can spare ten minutes
Steps 1–1 of 7
Onion softened 4 to 5 minutes, garlic for 30 seconds. This is optional but recommended, and it is the difference between a soup that tastes of cooked tomato and one that tastes of raw onion cooked in tomato.
- Soften the aromaticsOptional but recommended: olive oil in a skillet over medium, onion 4 to 5 minutes until translucent, garlic for 30 seconds.
Stage 2 of 5
Build and wait
Steps 2–3 of 7
Crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, broth, dried herbs, sugar, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. High for 3 to 4 hours or Low for 6 to 7. The single teaspoon of sugar is doing real work against tinned-tomato acidity.
- Build the baseAdd the onion and garlic to the cooker with the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, broth, dried basil, oregano, sugar, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir well.
- CookCover and cook on High 3 to 4 hours, or Low 6 to 7.
Stage 3 of 5
Blend
Steps 4–4 of 7
An immersion blender straight in the crock, to whatever smoothness you want. Optional, and the one stage that is purely about texture rather than flavour.
- Blend to tasteFor a smoother soup, blend directly in the cooker with an immersion blender to the texture you want.
Stage 4 of 5
Cream, then pasta
Steps 5–6 of 7
Heavy cream and cream cheese first, on High for 20 to 30 minutes until silky. Only then the tortellini and spinach, for a further 15 to 20 until al dente. Reversing these two would leave the pasta sitting in the pot while the dairy melts, and tortellini do not survive being waited on.
- Add the dairyStir in the heavy cream and cream cheese, cover, and cook on High 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cream cheese has melted and the soup is silky.
- Add tortellini and spinachCook on High a further 15 to 20 minutes, until the tortellini are al dente and the spinach has wilted.
Stage 5 of 5
Finish off the heat
Steps 7–7 of 7
Parmesan and half the fresh basil stirred through, then taste. The rest of the basil goes on top, where it stays green.
- Finish and serveStir in the Parmesan and half the fresh basil, taste and adjust, then ladle out and garnish with more Parmesan and basil.
Ingredient Notes
- Cheese tortellini
- Refrigerated or frozen both work in the 15-to-20-minute window. They go in last for a reason — they are the one ingredient that cannot wait.
- Cream cheese
- Four ounces, optional and worth including. It is what makes the soup silky rather than merely creamy, and it holds up on reheating.
- Dried and fresh basil
- Either works. Dried goes in at the start where it has hours to soften; fresh goes in at the end, half stirred through and half on top.
- Tomato paste
- Two tablespoons, and easy to skip. It is the concentrated depth that stops a tinned-tomato soup tasting thin.
How to Make It
Soften the aromatics
Optional but recommended: olive oil in a skillet over medium, onion 4 to 5 minutes until translucent, garlic for 30 seconds.
Build the base
Add the onion and garlic to the cooker with the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, broth, dried basil, oregano, sugar, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir well.
Cook
Cover and cook on High 3 to 4 hours, or Low 6 to 7.
Blend to taste
For a smoother soup, blend directly in the cooker with an immersion blender to the texture you want.
Add the dairy
Stir in the heavy cream and cream cheese, cover, and cook on High 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cream cheese has melted and the soup is silky.
Add tortellini and spinach
Cook on High a further 15 to 20 minutes, until the tortellini are al dente and the spinach has wilted.
Finish and serve
Stir in the Parmesan and half the fresh basil, taste and adjust, then ladle out and garnish with more Parmesan and basil.
Success Tips
- Do the ten-minute sauté if you can. It is optional, and it is the single biggest improvement available.
- Melt the dairy before the pasta goes in, not after. Tortellini overcook while they wait.
- Check the tortellini at 15 minutes. Fresh and frozen differ, and a few minutes past al dente in a hot pot is a lot.
- Blend before the cream, not after — blending a creamed soup can make it gluey.
Serving Ideas
Crusty bread or a grilled cheese alongside, which is the obvious pairing and the right one. Extra Parmesan and torn basil at the table.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate
Refrigerate up to 3 days. The tortellini keep absorbing and soften noticeably, so if you know you will have leftovers, cook the pasta separately and add it per bowl.
Freeze
Freeze the soup base without the tortellini up to 3 months. Cooked pasta goes mealy after freezing; add fresh tortellini when you reheat.
Reheat
Gently on the stovetop or in the cooker on Low, with a splash of broth to loosen. Avoid a hard boil, which can split the cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make it ahead?
Make the base through the blending stage, then refrigerate or freeze it. Add the cream, cream cheese and tortellini when you reheat — that keeps the pasta al dente instead of soft.
Do I have to blend it?
No, it is optional. Unblended you get a more rustic soup with visible tomato; blended it is closer to a classic creamy tomato. Neither changes the flavour.
Is it vegetarian?
As written, yes — it uses vegetable broth and cheese tortellini. Check your Parmesan if strict vegetarianism matters, since traditional Parmesan uses animal rennet.
