Tortellini Zucchini Soup is an easy 20-minute soup that is good to the last drop—so good that you might need to double the recipe! Cheese tortellini and other fast ingredients make our Tortellini Zucchini Soup a quick and hearty meal full of Italian flavor that is sure to be a hit with the whole family.
Be sure to check out our Freezer Zucchini Lasagna and Zucchini Quiche for more great zucchini freezer recipes.
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Tortellini Zucchini Soup is so quick and easy that it is perfect for a healthy last-minute meal on a busy day. It can be on the table in under 20 minutes, and if it's prepped for the freezer, it can go from freezer to table in about 10 minutes.
What you need to make Tortellini Zucchini Soup
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Zucchini
- Chicken stock or vegetable broth
- Dried basil
- Bay leaf
- Crushed tomatoes
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Frozen tortellini (cheese or meat)
- Dried parsley
See recipe card for quantities.
Adaptations for dietary restrictions
Vegetarian: Using vegetable stock and cheese tortellini, this soup is vegetarian so no adaptations are needed.
Gluten-free: If you would like to make a gluten-free version, you could substitute gluten-free pasta like Udi's gluten-free ravioli. Be sure to adjust the cooking time if you use pasta other than tortellini.
How to make Tortellini Zucchini Soup
Chop the onion and dice the zucchini. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil. Sauté the onion and zucchini in the olive oil until the onion is translucent and zucchini is tender. Add the chicken or vegetable broth, basil, bay leaf, crushed tomatoes, salt, and pepper.
Stir soup and heat to a simmer. Add tortellini and bring back to a simmer.
Cook for 8 minutes or until tortellini is tender and cooked through. Add parsley and stir just before serving.
Tips
- If you prefer a smoother consistency, before adding the tortellini, use an immersion blender to smooth out the soup base. Do not overblend, since the tortellini needs the liquid to cook.
- Try substituting fresh basil and fresh parsley for the dried basil and dried parsley (1 tablespoon fresh herbs = 1 teaspoon dry herbs).
- As with any pasta soup, leftover pasta tends to swell as it absorbs the liquid from the soup. This soup recipe makes only five servings, but if you think you will have leftovers or are not planning to serve the soup immediately, consider these alternate prep options. Either prepare the soup up to the point of adding the pasta, store the two parts in the refrigerator separately until ready to serve, then add the pasta and cook for 8 minutes; or prepare the soup as directed but cook the pasta separately in water or broth, then strain and store separately, and add tortellini to each bowl with soup.
- For a spicy version, add crushed red pepper flakes when you add the herbs.
- Serve topped with Parmesan cheese if you'd like.
Freezer instructions
Chop the onion and dice the zucchini. Sauté the onion and zucchini in the olive oil until the onion is translucent and zucchini is tender. Remove onion and zucchini from heat and combine with all ingredients except stock in a freezer container.
Freeze and label each container with the following instructions:
Tomato Zucchini Soup
Bring 6 cups of chicken or vegetable stock to a boil. Add frozen ingredients and stir gently until thawed. Heat to a boil and cook for 8 minutes or until tortellini is tender and cooked through.
Recipe
Tortellini Zucchini Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion
- 2 medium zucchini
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 medium bay leaf
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 19 ounces frozen tortellini, cheese or meat
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
Instructions
If preparing to serve:
- Chop 1 medium onion and dice 2 medium zucchini.
- In a large soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sauté the onion and zucchini in the olive oil until onion is translucent and zucchini is tender.
- Add 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 medium bay leaf, 28 ounces crushed tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Stir and heat to a simmer.
- Add 19 ounces frozen tortellini and bring back to a simmer. Cook for 8 minutes or until tortellini is tender and cooked through. Add 1 tablespoon dried parsley and stir just before serving.
If preparing to freeze:
- Sauté the onion and zucchini in the olive oil until the onion is translucent and zucchini is tender. Remove onion and zucchini from heat and combine with all ingredients except stock in a freezer container.
- Freeze and label each container with the following instructions: "Bring 6 cups of stock to a boil. Add frozen ingredients and stir gently until thawed. Heat to a boil and cook for 8 minutes or until tortellini is tender and cooked through."
Tracy F
I bought shelf stable tortellini from Aldi and I want to make the freezer version. Do I need to change anything in the directions? Thanks.
Mary Ann
Hi Tracy - I think it will be fine as is, but you should just keep an eye on the tortellini when you are cooking it to be sure it doesn't over or under cook in the time specified. If it were me, I would probably keep the tortellini in the pantry (or freeze it separately in its original packaging) and note to add it at the end for the amount of time called for on the package.