Dairy-Free Tortellini Soup with Creamy Cashew Cream
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This delicious Creamy Tortellini Soup is a cozy 25-minute dinner recipe. Instead of being loaded with cream (as most tortellini soup recipes are), this one is made creamy with a little cashew butter.
If you’re looking for a tortellini soup that feels as cozy as curling up under your favorite fluffy blanket, this is it. It has a funny way of disappearing fast and leaving nothing but happy bowls and empty pots behind. It’s the kind of soup I make when I want maximum comfort with minimal effort.
When I told my handsome man there wasn’t any cream in this soup, he flat-out didn’t believe me. It took some convincing—and a few spoonfuls—but once he tasted it, he was fully converted. The tomato broth is rich and creamy (without a drop of dairy), bursting with flavor, and comes together in just 25 minutes from start to finish. If you’re smart, you’ll make a double batch, because leftovers make an excellent lunch the next day.
Reasons you’ll love this creamy tortellini soup recipe
- A creamy tomato broth that is bursting with flavor.
- Start to finish, it takes only 25 minutes to make.
- Any leftovers (you may want to double the recipe) are delicious for tomorrow’s lunch.
- 100% dairy-free!
More recipes that use cashew cream
Can you make creamy tortellini soup ahead of time?
Yes, but only without the tortellini. While the soup is still tasty for lunch the following day, the tortellini will be a little soft. If you want this soup to last several days, or to serve to friends, cook the tortellini separately.
Can you freeze creamy tortellini soup?
Yes, but you’ll need to leave out the tortellini. If you plan on freezing this soup, cook the tortellini in a separate pot.
Dairy-Free Tortellini Soup with Creamy Cashew Cream
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 medium onion (minced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes
- 4 cups stock (see notes)
- 12 ounces refrigerated (fresh) tortellini (about three generous cups – see notes)
- 4 tablespoons cashew butter + 1 cup warm water
- Sea salt and pepper (to taste)
- 5 ounces baby spinach
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until it's translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for 1 minute.1 tablespoon avocado oil, 1 medium onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Push the onions to the side of the pot and add the tomato paste to the center. Let it cook for 3 minutes, or until it begins to smell sweet. Add the diced tomatoes and stock to the pot and scrape any stuck-on bits off the bottom of the pot. Season to taste with salt.4 tablespoons tomato paste, 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes, 4 cups stock
- Bring the pot to a boil then add the tortellini and let it cook for 6 minutes.12 ounces refrigerated (fresh) tortellini
- Mix the cashew butter and water together then add it to the pot. Let it thicken the soup. Taste and season (if needed) with a little more salt and pepper. Stir the spinach into the soup.4 tablespoons cashew butter + 1 cup warm water, 5 ounces baby spinach
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Hey there! I wonder: would tahini work as a substitute for the cashew butter + water mixture?
The cashew butter + water is to make the soup creamy without having to add cream. But you could always do the traditional route of using some heavy cream instead.
Or you could use coconut cream-Native Forest is a really good brand (found at Whole Foods) but doesn’t have the major coconutty flavor to me. It just adds thickness and creamy flavor. Worth a try!
This is delicious and so easy to make, will definitely make again
Easy, quick and so yummy! Just made this. I cut recipe in half and added ground Italian sausage. It was divine.
I tried this tonight. It was tasty but it didn’t look like the picture. I couldn’t get the cashew butter to mix completely with the warm water or soup so it had separation. Is there a way to fix this for next time?
If your cashew butter is cold, it will be harder to mix. Start by mixing just a little water into the cashew butter then add a little more and mix again. Once it’s a loose paste it will be easy to mix in the rest of the water.
This is delicious. I have to avoid dairy while breastfeeding and so I used gnocchi instead. So tasty.
Hi there. This looks so great except for the cashew butter. My husband and I both dislike nuts or nutty flavors in our food. Is this really meant to have a rich nutty flavor? I assume the nut butter helps thicken it a bit. Could you recommend something else, or could that ingredient be completely omitted?
I don’t find that the flavor is overly nutty – cashew butter is pretty mild tasting. But you could substitute regular cream instead.
Hi I was thinking of making this for my husband but he has a nut allergy. Could you suggest a substitute for the cashews
Regular heavy cream works, too. 🙂
This was DELICIOUS and so easy to make. I am really glad I found the recipe on IG. Cannot wait to make it again!
Absolutely wonderful! This is the first tortellini soup I’ve made & it’s a keeper! The only thing I changed was I used 2 14.5 oz cans of basil, garlic & oregano diced tomatoes because I couldn’t find a 28 oz can. This soup screams comfort food this time of year, thank you for such a great recipe! I’ve already passed it on to a few people 😉
After so many months of cooking vegetarian meals for my newly vegetarian family this soup is such a welcome addition to the weekly lineup! It was quick and easy and except for the spinach I can keep all the ingredients in my pantry to whip this up. My family absolutely loved it! I was out of cashew butter so I just soaked about half a cup of cashews in hot water and then blended the whole thing up in my Vitamix and threw it in the pot. Creamy and delicious! And you don’t have to be vegan or vegetarian to love it!
Hi! I came across your website this week and I loved it. I took notes of four recipes to cook this week, starting with this one. I’ll share my insights.
My partner isn’t a fan of wet dishes, so I reduced the stock to 3 cups and instead of mixing Cashew paste with another cup of water, I’ve mixed it with a cup of the liquid already boiling. I used two packs of 250g pasta and we both loved the result.
Thank you a lot!
That’s so great to hear, Wes! Thank you for letting us know!
This might be my favourite soup recipe ever. I’ve made it a few times now and will be making it again cause my family keeps begging for it. Thank you for this light version!
Yay! That makes me really happy to hear. Thanks, Samantha!
Hi there, wondering f you could use tomato soup instead of canned tomatoes in this receipe
This is a really flexible recipe so I think that sub should work just fine. 🙂
I am allergic to cashews. Can you suggest a substitute for all these yummy looking recipes?
Thank you
Any nut butter should work, but some (like peanut butter) will change the flavor quite a bit. I would suggest opting for one with a neutral flavor. Raw almond butter might be your best best. 🙂