January 5, 2020

Creamy Vegan Tortellini and Vegetable Soup with Pesto

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Super creamy tortellini and vegetable soup that’s packed with vegetables, brightened with pesto & fresh lemon juice, and ready in just 30 minutes?! You’re not dreaming … this bowl of perfection is real. 

winner, winner … more soup for dinner

In case you haven’t noticed, I really, really love soup. Aside from the fact that soup is simple and versatile, it’s also a great dish for packing in a shit ton of vegetables. I don’t know about you guys, but after all the comfort food and cookies I eat during the Holidays, I’m usually craving lots of vegetables around this time of year.

Insert my Creamy Tortellini and Vegetable Soup with Pesto here.

This soup is PACKED with vegetables, and brightened up with pesto and fresh lemon juice … yet it’s still comforting because:

  • It’s creamy af.
  • Tortellini = carbs. Carbs = comfort.
  • It’s SOUP. What’s more comforting than soup?!

Grab a glass of wine, get your favorite playlist on, and let’s get to cookin’ the easiest, creamiest, and most delicious 30 minute Vegetable and Tortellini Soup!

I can’t find vegan tortellini. what can I substitute it for?

The brand of vegan tortellini that I buy is from Kite Hill Foods, and I purchase it at my local Whole Foods. You can click here for their store locator to see if they carry the tortellini in your area.

If you’re unable to get your hands on store-bought vegan tortellini … don’t fret! You might think the tortellini is the star of the dish, but in my opinion, the true star is the pesto! It really rounds out the dish and brings all the flavors together. To make this soup just as delicious, just sub out the tortellini for your favorite noodles! I personally love Pipe Rigate because they’re the perfect little vessels to hold in all that creamy deliciousness, but any nood would work!

To sub out noodles in the place of tortellini, here is what you’ll need to do:

  1. First and most importantly, you do NOT need a whole pound of noodles. You’ll only need 1 cup.
  2. Follow the directions as you normally would, adding in the noodles in place of the tortellini. Make sure to simmer the soup for about 11-12 minutes instead of 8 minutes, as dried noodles take longer to cook than the tortellini.
  3. Bonus Tip: Add about 1/2 cup of vegan mozzarella shreds when you add your pesto and lemon juice off the heat. This will take the place of the vegan cheese that is in your tortellini!

How do i make tortellini and vegetable soup?

I know you’ll love this creamy tortellini and vegetable soup with pesto (unless you don’t like pesto, and in that case, I don’t know if we can still be friends) because it’s ready in just 30 minutes and so, so flavorful! To start, we make the pesto faster than you can blink your eyes by blending up the ingredients. Set that aside and make the soup in less than 10 easy steps:

  1. Sauté your onions, celery, and carrots.
  2. Add garlic and seasonings.
  3. Sprinkle with flour, add diced tomatoes and vegan chicken broth.
  4. Simmer.
  5. Add vegan milk, more veggies, and tortellini.
  6. Finish with pesto, lemon juice, and more vegan parmesan.
  7. Serve and enjoy!

I told you this soup was easy!

i like it, i want it. i see it, i make it.

I hope you guys love the recipe for my creamy tortellini and vegetable soup with pesto as much as I do! If you give it a try, snap a photo or a video, share it on Instagram, and tag me at @eat_figs_not_pigs and #EatFigsNotPigs. I love seeing all your recreations of my recipes! Until next time, friends!

XOXO!

 
5.0 from 2 reviews
Vegan Creamy Tortellini and Vegetable Soup with Pesto
 
Cook time
Total time
 
Super creamy tortellini and vegetable soup that’s packed with vegetables, brightened with pesto & fresh lemon juice, and ready in just 30 minutes?! You’re not dreaming … this bowl of perfection is real.
Author:
Recipe type: Vegan
Cuisine: Soup
Serves: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
Pesto
  • 2 packed cups fresh basil
  • ⅔ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup pine nuts
  • ½ cup vegan parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast flakes
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • ½ tsp kosher salt and pepper
Soup
  • 3 TBS olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
  • 3 TBS all purpose flour
  • 1 - 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 5 cups prepared vegan chick'n broth or vegetable broth
  • 2 cups unsweetened soy milk
  • 1½ cups frozen & cut green beans (fresh works, too)
  • 2 yellow squash, chopped
  • 1 LB vegan tortellini
  • 1 bunch fresh spinach
  • ½ cup fresh lemon juice
  • Vegan parmesan, for garnish
  • Red pepper flakes, for garnish
Instructions
Pesto
  1. In a food processor or blender, blend all the ingredients until smooth, about 30 seconds - 1 minute. Set aside.
Soup
  1. In a large soup pot over medium heat, add oil. Once oil is hot, add onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté until the vegetables are soft, and the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. mix tom combine and sauté and additional 2 minutes.
  3. Stir the flour into the vegetables and cook for 1 minute. it should be sticky and dry. Mix in diced tomatoes. Gradually add in the chicken broth, stirring to combine. Increase heat to a high until it reaches a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
  4. Increase heat back to medium. Add soy milk, green beans, squash, and tortellini. Simmer for an additional 8 minutes. Add spinach, mixing to combine and turn off the heat.
  5. Off heat, mix in prepared pesto and fresh lemon juice. Serve with vegan shredded parmesan and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
  6. ENJOY!
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Rate this recipe:  

  1. Delicious and easy recipe! First time doing Veganuary and this is my favorite recipe so far. Pasta + Pesto + Garlic … really what can go wrong? My non-vegan husband even asked when we will be making this again.

  2. Thanks for this recipe! Wondering if I have some leftover tomato pesto I want to sub in for the basil pesto whether i should still add the fire roasted tomatoes or will it be too tomato-y? Haha if that’s a thing!