I’ve seen all the tortellini soup recipes out there (and there’s a LOT). But your search ends here. My version is loaded with those little pasta purses swimming in a medley of a creamy, cheesy, tomato-based broth along with a burst of sweet tomatoes and fresh basil. It also couldn’t be easier as you just add everything to the Instant Pot, hit a button, stir and it’s done. It’s Creamy Tortellini Soup and once you try it, it’s going right in your rotation.
Okay, just a few finishing, creamy touches.
Instant Pot Creamy Tortellini Soup
I've seen all the tortellini soup recipes out there (and there's a LOT). But your search ends here. My version is loaded with those little pasta purses swimming in a medley of a creamy, cheesy, tomato-based broth along with a burst of sweet tomatoes and fresh basil. It also couldn't be easier as you just add everything to the Instant Pot, hit a button, stir and it's done. It's Creamy Tortellini Soup and once you try it, it's going right in your rotation.
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce (not the same as pasta sauce, see Jeff’s Tips)
- 20 ounces fresh tortellini of your choice
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 bunch fresh basil leaves
- 10-20 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream or half-and-half
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (or any cheese you prefer)
- 5.2-ounce package Boursin (any flavor), or garlic herb cheese, cut into chunks (optional)
- 2 tablespoons - ¼ cup hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Add the broth, tomato sauce, and Italian seasoning to the Instant Pot. Stir well. Addthe tortellini but do not stir – just smooth it out. Top with the basil leaves followed by the tomatoes and again, do not stir. Secure the lid, move the valve to the sealing position and then hit Pressure Cook or Manual at High Pressure for 1 minute. Quick release when done.
- Stir in the cream, Cheddar, Boursin (if using) and hot sauce (if using, start with less and you can always add more - See Jeff's Tips). Stir until all is combined. If you wish for the soup to be hotter after adding the cooler dairy, simply hit Cancel and then Sauté and bring to the desired temperature before serving. Then, hit Cancel again followed by Keep Warm.
Jeffrey's Tips
Want to make this soup very zesty? In addition to the optional hot sauce, sub 2 cups of your favorite Bloody Mary mix for the tomato sauce (I like Zing Zang or Mr. & Mrs. T brands).
If you find you want more tomato in the soup, simply add 1-2 cups more more tomato sauce, Bloody Mary Mix or even your favorite Marinara sauce (p.000) in Step 2 for it to be a bit chunkier.
trisha
Looks amazing, can’t wait to try? Can you use frozen tortellini..
I live your recipes!
Thanks so much for sharing!
Kathleen
I used frozen the first two times, and my husband swears this is his new favorite Jeffrey Soup! They work just fine!
Tracie
Did you increase the cook time using frozen tortellini?
Tracey
amazing, made it tonight for the first time
Jaimie
If I leave out the Cherry tomatoes, do I need to substitute anything for it? Will it take away from the flavor or soup base? Can’t wait to try this!
Jeffrey
Not at all. They just provide more body.
Gabriella Jean
what’s the yield on this recipe?
Gabriella Jean
oh wait I found the yield. ty
Georgette
I used canned, diced…
Melissa Freye
Is the 2 c. marinara a substitute for the 2 c. tomato sauce or an ADDITION to the recipe? Seems like an addition if your directions “add in Step 2” are correct. Isn’t that a lot of extra liquid?
Jeffrey
It’s an addition. And that’s up to you to determine if you wish to add it or not.
Helyn
Hope not insult to ask, but can evaporated milk be used in place of cream for this culinary wonder as well?
Please and thanks.
Drooling in wait😊
Patti
Helyn, I always use evaporated milk in recipes calling for heavy cream or half and half and have found it a good substitute. I’m making this tonight for dinner and will let you know how it turns out!
Patti
I used evaporated milk and it was delicious!
Christine
Can’t wait to try this! Also, I know it’s probably not ideal but could you sub the basil for dried basil?
Elizabeth
Can I make this in a crock pot?
Jeffrey
I guess? But why? Done so much faster in the IP.
Elizabeth
Can I make this in a crock po
Mel
If you’re adding the Boursin, which definitely adds flavor and creaminess, then using half and half would be better than the heavy cream. Better for your health too…
BB
I used half and half and Boursin. It was delicious!
Karen
This looks so good! I’m going to try it tonight. I always look for quick meals on bowling night and it can’t get any quicker than this.
karen
Just finished eating this and it was delicious!
Thank you for another great recipe.
Jerry
Do you think shrimp would be good in it?
Tom W.
Yes! Shrimp would be a fantastic addition. I look forward to trying this.
Jeremy
When / how would you add the shrimp? (Pre-cook them and add them at the end?) I have also been toying with the idea of adding baby spinach in the final step (after the pressure cooking is done, but before adding the additional dairy).
Stephen
can we omit fresh basil for a few shakes of the dried variety? haven’t been having luck with many fresh herbs.
Georgette
I did. I couldn’t get fresh, sadly
Heather Bonsell
I made this and it was soooo delicious. Unfortunately, I didn’t have Boursin but next time I will.
Love your recipes, Jeffrey.
Jay
How long do I cook if using frozen tortellini?
Justine
Can we cook some sausage up on sauté and then add the other ingredients in?
Devonnah
We have done this often. If we can’t find ground Italian sausage, we’ll use ground beef. The sausage obviously adds more flavor, but either one help give a little bit of protein to the soup. We cook it separately, drain it, then throw it in the pot with everything else.
Carol
I have a 3 qt instant pot. Would I just halve these ingredients or do I need to modify any? Thanks
Jen Schall
Can I use dry tortellini? Thank you
Erin
I was wondering the same thing
Angela
I also have dried tortellini in my pantry – wondering if you tried it & how it turned out. Did you need to add more liquid, or adjust the recipe in any way?
Chris B
I just made this tonight and the family devoured it. This was so simple to me and so full of flavor. Jeffery thank you for sharing. This will be going into the dinner rotation.
Anastasia
So simple and tastes amazingly great! I followed the instructions exactly. My daughter says there is no optional for Boursin. This one is a keeper! Thanks!
Beth Hoyle
Thank you, absolutely love this recipe! Could you possibly share thoughts on frozen tortellini, or dried even? Also – I don’t usually have fresh basil on hand and was thinking spinach might be nice in there… Any thoughts on whether frozen spinach would be ok for the 1 minute pressure cook? Thank you!!
Janice Centritto
Made it tonight, just delicious!!
For those asking about using frozen Tortellini, yes you can! I increased the time to 3 mins and they came out perfect! I didn’t add the boursin cheese but actually didn’t miss it, veryCreamy! Definitely on my soup rotation!
Patti Jiminez
So deliciously but expensive
Glad it serves quite a few people
I am in So Cal
Tortellini was 8.00 Basil $4.00 , Herbed cheese $5.50
So glad it was delicious
Vanessa
This was the first Pressure Luck recipe our family tried and it was out of this world delicious! Our family normally tries a recipe as-is then make modifications for when we make it again in the future – this recipe it was agreed by everyone, no changes needed!
Stephanie Mouat
Didn’t have any fresh basil so I substituted dry flakes and then a small jar of pesto. It turned out amazing
Denise
I make a soup like this but cook it for zero minutes. Yes, it’s true, you can cook things for zero minutes. I’m afraid of the tortellini disintegrating. I also don’t use basil (never have any) but stir in some fresh spinach to add extra goodness and vitamins. Looks yummy. I’m gonna try your recipe.
Gary Toth
Absolutely delicious! I do agree with the comment that if you are adding the optional Boursin, you might want to consider using half-and-half instead of heavy cream. This is certainly a recipe that does not belong in your “lighter” cookbook. Also, I would suggest adding the Boursin to the mixture before you add the shredded cheese or cream/half-and-half, which will facilitate the melting of the Boursin before the addition of the cooler dairy items.
Heather
I used cream cheese instead of Boursin and canned diced tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes. I also added 3 cloves of garlic. It was delicious.
𝘽𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙚
𝘼𝙬𝙚𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚, 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝘾𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙚𝙨𝙚.
Carmen
Making tonight! Can’t wait to try it!! Adding sausage to it to give it a bit more protein because my boy is always hungry! 🙂
Paula
Will you use cooked and crumbled sausage? Would love to know if the sausage gives it a little more flavor although I did enjoy the recipe as written.
Jeffrey
I personally feel it has plenty of flavor as is. But of course you can add a ground sausage of your choice if you wish.
Sean Fox
Third time making it in one week, Can Not get enough of this recipe!!!
Don Nelson
I was thinking of omitting the tomatoes and substituting with baby bella mushrooms. Wondering your thoughts if that would change anything in regard to cook time?
Jessika
How did it go with the mushrooms added?
Becky Fletcher
Made this today!!! It was delicious! I think next time I might also throw in a bag of spinach just for the extra greens. Definitely will add this to my rotation.
Linda
I made this for dinner tonight. It was so wonderful. I will be putting this in my rotation of recipes. I will probably cut the tomatoes in half because husband has swallowing issues but he really like this. I added sriracha to my bowl. Had garlic knots with it. Thank you Jeffrey for a great recipe.
Tom W.
I made this tonight. It was FANTASTIC. Just me so I’ll have leftovers for weeks (frozen… it’s definitely freeze-worthy).
I did add mushrooms and sweet italian sausage (6 halved then cut 5 ways for 10 mini-meatballs per sausage; I sauteed in the instant pot, breaking the “no saute necessary” rule for this recipe. No regrets, I’d do it again, and I’d like it.)
I used mushroom based Better than Bouillon.
The basil was the star of the show. The smell still permeates the house.
I LOVED how creamy it is. I can’t wait to do this one for guests.
The dog fruitlessly salivates and begs. No doggie, not for you. Not tonight. Not this time.
Barb
did you freeze the Ricotta cheese mixture also?
Tammy
This is delicious! I made as is and added a zucchini as I knew it would get thrown away if I didn’t use it. I can’t wait to try it with ZingZang.
Julie
Delicious…can you freeze leftovers?
Ellyn
What kind of hot sauce did you use. I do like Sriracha but 1/4cup seams line to much.
Also… has anyone added chicken?
Michael
Out Effing Standing!!
Made it almost as written and it was incredible. I used whole milk instead of cream. We use no fat milk for everything so cream is way too cloying for us. The herbed Boursin is perfect. I can’t wait to try variations; different broths, portabella mushrooms, spinach, shrimp. So many possibilities with such a flavorful broth.
Jeffrey
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Amber
My husband is currently laid on out the floor. In a good way! This was INSANELY delicious. My 6 and 9 year olds agree – and my husband groaned in agreement. Made it just as the recipe calls for (except I used just a few splashes of hot sauce). Will definitely make again!
Amy
Delicious! Added Italian sausage and used fire roasted canned tomatoes because that’s what I had on hand. It’s not often I find a recipe that each person in my family will eat. Will definitely be making again!
Sharon
Can you make this soup on the stove top? I don’t have a IP.
Thanks
Sharon
Can you make this on the stovetop
Timothy W Kaczmarek
this is a great recipe. Boursin cheese definitely makes it that much more tasty. Omitted the grape tomatoes, added a can of drained mushrooms and some of that frozen grilled chicken from Tyson. A delicious meal with no not a lot of prep time. Used Garlic Better than Bullion broth. OMG this is delicious.
Jeffrey
Fabulous!
Cheryl
Is 1 minute AL debate? I like my pasta cooked a bit past AL dente, so was wondering if I should go 2? I’ve been looking forward to making this all week! (Finally made and got my grocery order.) It’s raining and I can’t wait to eat this!
Jeremy T
For fresh (refrigerated) tortellini, 1 minute was plenty… I also like my pasta softer than al dente and had no complaints at all. We have added this to our rotation and make it probably every other week.
Tom W.
I’ve been working through the frozen soups I have in my freezer (living from the fridge). This soup, frozen, is my absolute favorite. But I’ve done mine up… and I did it again tonight.
I had some groceries on their last legs; tomatoes, mushrooms, leftover marinara (used for meatball sandwiches, one or… two… or three months ago).
THIS particular recipe (which probably changes the nature and scope of the recipe, I’ll admit) is SO POSITIVELY ENHANCED by taking 5 sweet or hot italian sausages, in casings, cutting them in half (to deglove them; don’t look this up), then cutting them crosswise to make 10 or 12 sausagettes (… it’s a word) per sausage link. Saute these first (they don’t have to be done all the way through… just browned a bit. Best done in 2 batches). Once both batches are browned (for me, it was two), then add the chicken broth and scrape the bottom to get the fond (that totally savory brown bits burnt to the bottom… so not burnt).
Followed exactly to the directions (adding sausage first, 2 cups of sliced mushrooms on top of the torelline; would change; Tortellini should be the top most ingredient).
The sausage, mushrooms and tortellini have made this a favorite of mine and it freezes SO well. Love coming across this in the freezer.
Lorena Mac
saute Italian sausage and add it in the beginning. so good 🤤
Heidi
I actually think I’d like it better without the tortellini! Is a great tomato basil soup all on its own.
Jeffrey
Do it!
Robb Geist
Jeff, Can you recommend any alterations to your tortellini soup recipe for using dry tortellini? We have a great quantity of it here at my sister’s house.
Shelly
I had a friend over for dinner and we whipped this up. It was wonderful. We used basil and tomatoes from the garden. Served it with bread and salad. Thank you.
Jeffrey
Fabulous!
Diane
So good!! Made a few adjustments for what I had on hand as it was too cold and rainy to go out. Only had frozen tortellini so I upped cook time to 3 minutes. Had spinach so used that instead of basil, but added a few shakes of dried basil for flavor. And last I had a can of Italian diced tomatoes so used that instead of cherry tomatoes. Oh and I had half a package of Andouille sausage sitting in the fridge that I threw in for some protein. It was awesome! My husband had two bowls full! Bravo Jeffrey
Jeffrey
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Molly
Entire family is loving this! Can’t wait to make it again and add some sausage or other protein. Absolutely delicious and easy!
Duane
We love this recipe! it’s perfect!
Diane
Love it! Just the way it is! Easy and delicious!
Georgette
Everyone that I have given some to loves it. I made it again tonight after they mentioned it. It was so easy. I bought the biggest Boursin that I could find, dried basil, and used a can of diced tomatoes and 18% cream. It is so good. Going to freeze some and take some to work….
Jeffrey
So glad you love it!