Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup with Fire-Roasted Tomatoes and Basil

Name: Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup with Fire-Roasted Tomatoes and Basil
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 onion (finely chopped); 4 garlic cloves (minced); 3 tablespoons tomato paste — toast it in the oil until it darkens (so the soup tastes deep and rich instead of sharp); 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes — use half this amount if you prefer a mild soup; 2 x 400 g tins fire-roasted tomatoes; 750 ml vegetable stock or chicken stock; 250 g fresh cheese tortellini — add them only near the end (or they will split and go mushy); 120 ml double cream; 40 g Parmesan cheese (finely grated, plus more to serve); 60 g baby spinach; 1 small bunch fresh basil leaves (torn — stir them in at the very end, so they stay bright green); Salt and black pepper (to taste)

Published November 13, 2026

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This is a tomato soup with something to bite into. Fire-roasted tomatoes give the broth a deep, smoky flavour, and the tomato paste is toasted in olive oil first, so the soup tastes rich instead of sharp. Half of it is blended, so the broth turns thick and creamy, while the rest stays chunky with cheese tortellini cooked right in the pot. Fresh basil and a swirl of cream go in at the end. It is a one-pot soup for a cold November night, and it is ready in about 40 minutes. Serve it with crusty bread for dipping.

Creamy tomato tortellini soup with fire-roasted tomatoes and basil

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste — toast it in the oil until it darkens, so the soup tastes deep and rich instead of sharp
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes — use half this amount if you prefer a mild soup
2 x 400 g tins fire-roasted tomatoes
750 ml vegetable stock or chicken stock
250 g fresh cheese tortellini — add them only near the end, or they will split and go mushy
120 ml double cream
40 g Parmesan cheese, finely grated, plus more to serve
60 g baby spinach
1 small bunch fresh basil leaves, torn — stir them in at the very end, so they stay bright green
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until soft and clear.
Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the tomato paste, oregano, and chilli flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, until the paste darkens to a brick-red colour and smells sweet. Toasting the paste takes away its sharp, tinny taste.
Pour in the fire-roasted tomatoes and the stock. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, so the flavours come together.
Take the pot off the heat. Blend about half the soup with a stick blender, straight in the pot, until smooth. Leave the rest chunky — the half-blended soup is thick without being heavy.
Return the pot to low heat. Stir in the tortellini and simmer gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until the tortellini are tender and float to the top. Do not boil them hard, or they will split and go mushy.
Stir in the cream and Parmesan, then the spinach and torn basil. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, just until the spinach wilts. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
Serve hot in bowls, with extra Parmesan and a few basil leaves on top. A swirl of cream looks good, and crusty bread is the best thing to serve with it.

Common Mistakes, Substitutions, Serving and Storage

Common mistakes: skipping the tomato paste step, so the soup tastes sharp and thin; boiling the tortellini hard, so they split and go mushy; blending the whole soup, so it loses its chunky texture; stirring the basil in too early, so it turns dark and dull.

Substitutions: use regular tinned tomatoes instead of fire-roasted if you cannot find them, adding 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika for the smoky flavour; use spinach tortellini or meat tortellini instead of cheese tortellini; use kale instead of spinach, cooking it for 2 minutes longer.

Serving ideas: serve with crusty bread, garlic bread, or a grilled cheese sandwich for dipping. A simple green salad on the side keeps the meal light.

Storage and reheating: refrigerate for up to 4 days. The soup will thicken a lot as it sits, so add a splash of stock when reheating. Reheat gently over low heat and add the tortellini fresh if you can, as they soften in the fridge. Freeze the soup without the tortellini for up to 2 months, then add fresh tortellini when reheating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why toast the tomato paste? Raw tomato paste tastes sharp and tinny. Cooking it in olive oil for 2 minutes until it darkens makes it sweet and deep, and that flavour runs through the whole soup.

Why blend only half the soup? Blending half makes the broth thick and creamy, while the rest stays chunky, so every spoonful has tomato, tortellini, and spinach in it. Blending the whole pot makes a smooth soup with nothing to bite into.

When do I add the tortellini? Near the end, in the last 5 to 7 minutes of cooking. Tortellini cook fast, and boiling them hard or adding them too early makes them split and go mushy.

Why did my soup thicken so much in the fridge? The tortellini soak up broth as they sit, and the soup sets as it cools. Add a splash of stock when reheating and warm it gently — it will loosen back up.