Instant Pot Tomato Tortellini Soup

This Tomato Tortellini Soup is an easy and creamy soup recipe that cooks for just 4 minutes in an Instant Pot. Creamy tomato tortellini soup is a simple weeknight meal made with convenient ingredients like canned crushed tomatoes, dried seasonings, frozen cheese tortellini, parmesan cheese, and cream. 

Be sure and try my other tomato based soup recipes like this Minestrone Soup and Pasta Fagioli Soup. 

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup Recipe

Tomato Tortellini Soup is an easy & cozy soup recipe that cooks in just 4 minutes in the Instant Pot!

Simple and convenient ingredients like frozen tortellini, canned tomatoes, and dried seasonings makes this creamy tomato soup with cheese tortellini a quick weeknight meal. 

I love to serve this soup with some rolls to soak up all that creamy tomato broth goodness. I love making my One Hour Rolls to serve with this or make it really easy and buy some from the bakery. Don’t forget the extra sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese on top. Comfort in a bowl!

What You’ll Need

Here are the ingredients you will need to make creamy tomato tortellini soup in the pressure cooker or Instant Pot. I also give some tips for each ingredient and what I use when I make this recipe in my own kitchen.

• Chicken Broth – I prefer the taste of full-salt, regular chicken broth but you can use reduced-sodium broth as well. 
• Frozen Cheese Tortellini – No need to thaw! Just dump it into the insert of the Instant Pot. 
• Crushed Tomatoes
• Garlic – I use garlic paste from a tube (found in the refrigerated area of the produce section) but any garlic will work fine; chopped garlic from a jar or freshly minced/pressed garlic cloves. 
• Kosher Salt – I prefer using kosher salt when I am cooking savory foods. It is a larger salt so if you use regular table salt then you’ll want to reduce the amount to 3/4 teaspoon. 
• Black Pepper
• Dried Basil
• Heavy Cream – No substitutes for this one! You need that thickness and fat to make the soup nice and creamy. 
• Parmesan Cheese – Grate your own cheese from a wedge of parmesan cheese. It’s really the only way to make this recipe. The pre-shredded parmesan cheese won’t melt as smoothly and the taste of the freshly grated stuff is so much better. 

How To Make Tomato Tortellini Soup in the Instant Pot

Instant Pot : Pour the chicken broth into the insert and then the frozen cheese tortellini. Gently poke down the tortellini into the broth if some are uncovered. You don’t want to stir this at all, just poke down the exposed tortellini as best you can. Evenly pour the crushed tomatoes over the tortellini. DO NOT STIR! Add the garlic, salt, pepper, and basil on top. Again, no need to stir anything. Cover with the lid and set to the ‘sealed’ position. 

Cook : Set the pressure cook time for 1 minute. Remember that it will take about 6-8 minutes for it to come to pressure before the cook time starts. Once cook time is over allow for a natural pressure release for 3 minutes. This just means that you leave it be, don’t move the valve position, for 3 minutes. Do a quick release after the 3 minutes for any remaining pressure. A quick release is where you move the valve to the ‘venting’ position and the pressure releases. 

Creamy : Turn the sauté function on and stir in the heavy cream and shredded parmesan cheese. Let it simmer for just a few minutes, stirring frequently, until it’s thickened. This won’t take long at all. If you prefer a thinner soup then don’t turn on the sauté function and instead just add the cream + cheese and stir together before serving.

Tips For Success

Here are a few of my helpful tips that will help make this recipe a success in your own kitchen. 

• Use a Parmesan Cheese Wedge : Do not use pre-shredded or shelf-stable parmesan cheese for this recipe. Please! Buy a wedge of parmesan cheese and use a cheese grater to grate it yourself. It will melt much smoother, have a better taste, and leave the soup silky smooth and creamy. 
• Don’t Stir : It’s important, in any Instant Pot recipe especially, to carefully follow the directions. Do not stir at all before cooking. The only thing you need to do is gently push down the tortellini into the broth, you just want to make sure the tortellini are all covered (or at least partially) in the chicken broth. 
• Chicken Broth : This recipe has been tested with, and I make it all the time with, full-salt chicken broth. You can easily used reduced-sodium chicken broth if that’s what you prefer. 

Variation & Substitution Ideas

There are several ways that you can switch up this recipe. 

• Dried Seasonings : I love the simple taste of the basil in this recipe but feel free to add whatever you want. You can add some Italian seasoning, dried oregano, dried parsley, etc. Basil has a much more mild flavor so I would add less of another seasoning if you are using others. Maybe try 1 teaspoon. 
• Basil : If you prefer using fresh basil then go ahead and chop up some fresh basil and use that in place of the dried. It’s about 1/4 cup of chopped basil if using fresh. 
• Crushed Tomatoes : I have seen cans of Italian seasoned crushed tomatoes (w/ garlic, oregano, basil) which can be used in place of the plain crushed tomatoes for an added flavor boost. 
• Garlic : There are lots of different ways to use garlic. Mince or press some fresh garlic cloves. Use garlic paste from a tube. Or use some chopped garlic from a jar. 
• Tortellini : I usually can only find cheese tortellini but any kind can be used. Spinach + cheese tortellini is a good option if you can find it in the frozen section.

Tomato Tortellini Soup FAQ’s

• What Do I Serve with Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup? 
  • I serve this soup with some type of bread like my Easy Parmesan Garlic Knots or my Easy Breadsticks Recipe. 
  • Make it easy and buy some ready-to-bake frozen rolls and pop them in the oven. 
  • Serve with some Garlic Bread.
  • I find this soup to be very hearty with a side dish of bread, but if you want to go ahead and serve a side salad like this Olive Garden Salad Recipe.
  • Try making some easy homemade Focaccia Bread.
• What Is a Natural Release on the Instant Pot? 
  • This recipe calls for a natural release for 3 minutes. 
  • A natural release on the Instant Pot just means that when the cook time is done, you let the Instant Pot sit there for 3 minutes, without moving the sealed valves or anything. The Instant Pot will start a timer once the cook time is done, wait for 3 minutes and then move the valve to ‘venting’ for a quick release of the remaining pressure. 
• What Is a Quick Release on the Instant Pot? 
  • A quick release on the Instant Pot is when you immediately move the valve to the ‘venting’ position to let all the pressure out after the cook time. 
• How to Store Leftovers
  • Leftover will keep in the fridge, in an air-tight Tupperware container, for 2-3 days. The tortellini does get softer the longer it sits in the fridge. 
  • Heat up leftovers on the stove top or in the microwave. You may need to add some additional broth or water when reheating. 

More Instant Pot Dinner Recipes You’ll Love

Instant Pot Cashew Chicken : A quick & easy dinner recipe with chunks of chicken, cashews, and fresh vegetables in a homemade sauce with easy ingredients.

Instant Pot Potato Corn Chowder : Frozen corn, chopped potatoes, and cheese in a creamy chicken broth base.

Perfect Instant Pot Baked Ziti : One of my family’s favorite dinner recipes! Ziti pasta cooks with broth and cream in a perfectly seasoned tomato base.