It’s finally—barely, but still—starting to get cooler in Oklahoma City. The second the calendar turns to October 1, I’m all about cool breezes, chunky sweaters and bowl after bowl of hearty soups.

And on nights you don’t really feel like cooking, this Easy Cheesy Tortellini Soup will be a lifesaver. The most time-intensive aspect of it is chopping veggies, and after that you’re pretty much in the clear.

Prepare for a flavorful mixture of Italian spices with this semi-homemade dish. The broth is a combo of crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, vegetable broth and mirepoix, aka the perfect base for cheesy refrigerated tortellinis. If you’d like the end result to be a bit more soupy, add a fourth cup of vegetable broth. I’m always a face of extra spice, so I sprinkled additional red pepper flakes on top, too.

With this Easy Cheesy Tortellini Soup, you’re guaranteed to end up with a one-pot crowd-pleaser!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 T. butter

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 4 carrots, peeled & diced

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 3 celery stalks, chopped

• 3 c. vegetable broth

• 1 - 28 oz. can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes

• 1 t. smoked paprika

• 1 t. crushed red pepper flakes

• 1 t. dried thyme

• 1 t. dried basil

• 2 t. dried oregano

• 1 - 20 oz. package refrigerated cheese tortellini (we used Buitoni brand)

• 2-3 handfuls of baby spinach leaves, torn into pieces

• Salt & pepper to taste

• Shredded Parmesan cheese, to garnish

• Fresh basil, to garnish

STEPS

1) Melt the butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

2) Add the onions, carrots, garlic and celery and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the onions are translucent, about 5-6 minutes.

3) Add the vegetable stock, crushed tomatoes, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, dried thyme, dried basil and dried oregano. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

4) Remove the lid and bring the heat back up to medium-high. Taste the soup and add additional seasoning if necessary.

5) Add the tortellini and simmer for five minutes.

6) Add the spinach leaves a bit at a time, tearing them with your hands and stirring them into the soup until they wilt.

7) Serve and top with fresh basil leaves and shredded Parmesan cheese.