Creamy tortellini soup with spinach recipe

Divine inspiration: the tale of tortellini

There are hundreds of different types of pasta out there, so don’t worry if you’re not familiar with tortellini! Originating from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, tortellini is a small, circular, dumpling-like form of stuffed pasta. Traditionally, people fill it with a mix of ground meat and parmesan cheese, and serve it in a rich broth. Naturally, we’ve opted for a fully plant-based filling in this creamy tortellini soup with spinach recipe.

There is some dispute over whether Bologna or Modena is the true birthplace of tortellini. However, one of the more interesting stories claims it hails from Castelfranco Emilia, a small town between these two cities.

The legend states that Venus, the goddess of love, spent the night at a tavern there. The innkeeper stole a glance through the keyhole of her room and caught a partial glimpse of her. He was so inspired by the sight that he rushed to the kitchen and sculpted a new type of pasta in the shape of Venus’ navel. To this day, Castelfranco Emilia holds an annual festival dedicated to tortellini.

Making tortellini is a fabulous way to add some texture to creamy spinach soup recipes, plus ensures they’re more filling. The idea of crafting your own pasta might sound intimidating, but it’s easier than you think – we promise! Not to mention, it tastes delicious. Of course, if you prefer, you can always buy the tortellini and simply make the creamy spinach soup part yourself.

Speaking of the soup, let’s first look at why spinach is such a great ingredient to use. Here’s a hint: it’s more than just the color!

Supercharging your creamy tortellini soup with spinach

Like the majority of leafy greens, spinach is rich in a wealth of key nutrients. These include immunity-supporting vitamin C, plus vitamin K, which is vital for blood clotting and bone health. Spinach also contains several minerals which are crucial for strong bones, such as magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium. What's more, spinach is an excellent source of iron. This mineral plays a central role in transporting oxygen around the body and sustaining our energy levels.

Tucking into a creamy tortellini soup with spinach could additionally benefit your eye health. That’s because the vegetable contains the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which support healthy vision and protect against conditions such as cataracts.(1)

Research shows that spinach can also be good for your heart. It’s rich in nitrates, which help to relax and dilate blood vessels. This improves blood flow, reduces arterial stiffness, and lowers blood pressure.(2) All of which may work to reduce the risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

And heart disease isn’t the only chronic condition enjoying a creamy tortellini soup with spinach might help stave off. Spinach is bursting with antioxidants, which defend our cells against damage caused by free radicals.(3) Known as oxidative stress, experts believe this damage contributes to several harmful diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s.

Finally, research even indicates that a creamy tortellini soup with spinach could benefit your mental health.(4) The leaves may have both anti-stress and antidepressant properties, although we need further evidence to confirm this.

Tofu: almost too good to be true

It’s not just the spinach in this creamy tortellini soup with spinach that makes it such a wellness-boosting dish. The tofu inside the homemade tortellini also brings a wealth of health benefits to the bowl.

For starters, it’s a fantastic source of plant-based protein, and contains all nine essential amino acids.(5) These are vital for processes such as growth and repair, and we have to obtain them from our diet as our bodies are unable to make them.

Many of tofu’s impressive benefits are thanks to natural plant compounds called isoflavones. As an example, soy isoflavones may help to increase bone mineral density and reduce bone loss.(6) Interestingly, they might additionally support our cognitive health. Studies suggest that eating soy products like tofu can boost functions such as memory, processing speed, and attention.(7) It could even improve your mood and lessen the risk of depression.(8) That’s a lot of good reasons to add tofu to your creamy tortellini soup with spinach!

One aspect of our wellbeing that tofu seems particularly beneficial for is heart health. This is firstly because soy foods work to decrease cholesterol levels.(9) If your cholesterol is too high, it can build up on the walls of your arteries. That reduces blood flow, and increases the risk of blood clots, heart attack, and stroke. What’s more, soy may also lower blood pressure and inflammation, further protecting our cardiovascular health.(10)

Finally, adding tofu to your creamy tortellini soup with spinach might help with blood sugar management. Research indicates that tofu could decrease blood glucose levels and lessen the risk of type 2 diabetes.(11) However, further investigation is necessary to confirm this.

How to make our creamy tortellini soup with spinach: the tortellini

The first step in whipping up this creamy tortellini soup with spinach is to tackle the tortellini. To make the pasta dough, add the flour to a bowl and then pour the oil and water on top. Use a fork to gently combine the ingredients, then continue mixing with your hands until you get a sticky dough. Transfer this to a floured surface and knead the dough for 5-10 minutes to give it a smooth consistency.

Once you’re happy with the texture, shape the dough into a ball and wrap it in clingfilm. Leave it to sit at room temperature for between 30 minutes and an hour. This is a good time to make the tortellini filling. Pop your mashed tofu (or vegan ricotta) in a bowl, along with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Add the lemon zest, then use a fork to mix everything together before setting it aside.

Next, slice the dough into four and flatten each piece into an oval. Run these through the widest setting of your pasta maker, then repeat the process until you reach the narrowest setting. Lay the thin dough on a floured surface, and cut it into rectangles. Spoon about half a teaspoon of your tofu filling into the centre of each one.

Now you’re ready to shape your pasta. Fold each rectangle in half to make a triangle and press the edges together to seal them. Then take the left and right corners, twist them inwards to meet in the middle, and press them together. It’s that simple!

How to make our creamy tortellini soup with spinach: the soup

Now we move on to the soup itself – feel free to start this while waiting for your pasta dough. First, put the vegan butter and sunflower oil into a saucepan and heat it for about a minute. Once it’s melted and sizzling, add the diced shallot, green pepper and garlic, and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Next, pop in the diced celery and pour the vegetable stock on top. Give the mixture a good stir and allow it to simmer for about 20 minutes.

When ready, pour in the vegan cream and bring the soup to the boil before stirring in the spinach. Simmer for a further three minutes, then transfer everything to your blender. Blend the mixture until it’s velvety smooth and gorgeously green.

Now it’s time to bring all the components together and create the finished creamy tortellini soup with spinach! Place the tortellini in the broth and cook it for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle a pinch of black pepper on top, then stir in the chlorella powder.

Spoon the mixture into bowls, ensuring that you distribute the tortellini evenly between them. Finally, garnish each dish with basil leaves and black pepper, and you’re ready to tuck in!

Vibrant and nourishing: the health benefits of chlorella

What truly sets our creamy tortellini soup with spinach recipe apart from the rest is the addition of chlorella. This blue-green algae not only deepens the color of the dish, but it also boosts its health benefits. Here's how.

Chlorella is rich in several key nutrients, including iron, zinc, iodine, vitamin C, carotenoids, antioxidants, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids. Each of these plays a vital role in keeping us fit and healthy. Like tofu, it’s also high in amino acids, which may explain why one study found that chlorella enhances aerobic endurance.(12)

Adding chlorella to your creamy tortellini soup with spinach might additionally help to support your immune system. For instance, research has found that taking the algae could increase the body’s production of antibodies.(13) These defend us against viruses, bacteria, and similar microbes, forming a crucial part of our immune response. Similarly, studies indicate that consuming chlorella may stimulate the immune system by enhancing the activity of natural killer cells.(14)

Linked with this, chlorella might be able to enhance the body’s natural ability to detoxify itself. Research suggests that the algae could bind to and help remove heavy metals and other harmful chemicals from the body.(15)

Similar to tofu, the chlorella in this creamy tortellini soup with spinach can benefit the heart in several ways. Studies have found that taking the algae works to lower cholesterol levels and triglycerides.(16) This may be because it’s rich in niacin and carotenoids. Moreover, chlorella contains key nutrients like potassium, arginine, and omega-3 that help to prevent your arteries from hardening.(17) This lowers blood pressure and improves blood flow.

Introducing our organic chlorella powder

Quality is crucial for getting the maximum benefit from adding chlorella to your creamy tortellini soup with spinach. That’s why we source ours directly from expert small farmers in Spain. They cultivate chlorella ethically and sustainably, in clean water and direct sunlight, under meticulously controlled conditions.

This ensures the algae contains exceptionally high levels of natural nutrition. For example, our organic chlorella powder contains 130-250mg of carotenoids and 350-750mg of chlorophyll per 100g. That’s in addition to all the different vitamins, minerals, and amino acids it’s bursting with.

After harvesting the raw chlorella, our team washes and dries the algae before milling it into a fine powder. This breaks down its cell walls, making it much easier for you to digest the algae and access its nutrients. As with all our products, our chlorella is 100% organic. And we don’t add any filler ingredients, so what you get is pure chlorella powder.

There are plenty of ways to include chlorella in our diet besides this creamy tortellini soup with spinach recipe. Its grassy, seaweedy flavor makes it a brilliant addition to salad dressings, pesto, stir-fries, and rice dishes. Alternatively, mix a spoonful into your favorite juices and smoothies. It pairs well with a range of ingredients, from berries and pineapple to banana and ginger. Another great option is to add the powder to the base of a recipe for energy bars or bliss balls.

Please note that if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or on any medication, it’s best to seek medical advice before taking chlorella. This will help you to avoid interactions and ensure the algae is suitable for your needs.

Customizing this creamy tortellini soup with spinach recipe

One of the great things about creamy spinach soup recipes like this one is how easy they are to customize. You’re able to switch up some of the ingredients in both the tortellini and the broth to suit your tastes.

For example, spinach doesn’t have to be the only leafy green in the soup. Kale makes a fabulous addition, as well as similar veggies like rocket and bok choy. You also have the option to substitute the chlorella for spirulina, another type of blue-green algae with comparable health benefits. All of this allows for customization while retaining the dish’s stunning jade color.

Likewise, feel free to play around with the pasta filling in this creamy tortellini soup with spinach recipe. For instance, you could add some extra greens, vegan cheese, pumpkin puree, sun-dried tomatoes... the options are almost endless! This enables you to create all sorts of delicious variations to fit the season or occasion.

Now let’s talk about garnishes. The tortellini shells give the soup plenty of texture, but you might also want to add some crunch. If so, try popping in some pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, flaked almonds, or sunflower seeds. Plus, you can include different herbs and spices for subtle shifts in the dish’s flavor profile.

Creamy tortellini soup with spinach is wonderfully warm and comforting, making it ideal for chilly days and dark nights. We particularly love enjoying it with fresh homemade bread or some of our crumbly activated crackers. Whether for a family meal or a dinner party with friends, this is a dish that’s bound to impress – especially when you reveal that you made the tortellini from scratch!