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Welcome to Episode Two of Hungry Lady Soups: meal-in-a-bowl soups that will fill & warm you up!
I adore chickpeas and pasta together. It’s basically a carb party, and I’m fully on board. I’ve always loved pasta e ceci, which translates to “pasta and chickpeas,” a staple of Italian peasant cooking. And I love a peasant-food soup. I’m not looking for super refined or sophisticated when it comes to soup, just something hearty that’s still beautiful in the bowl.
This stewy tortellini version is my riff on it. The greens aren’t traditional, but of course I’m going to get some veg in there whenever possible. Prepared tortellini makes the whole thing really easy to throw together. (If you want the classic, my pasta e ceci recipe is coming in my third cookbook!!)
The other night when I made this, my kids each had a second helping…I don’t know if they knew there were chickpeas in there, my little secret! It’s fine, what they don’t know won’t hurt them 😉
Swaps and Add-Ins
Gluten-free: Use a gluten-free tortellini.
Pasta instead of tortellini: Swap in ditalini or elbows. That gets you closer to a proper pasta e ceci.
No tomato paste? Leave it out and throw in a Parmesan rind instead. You’ll get a similar umami flavor. Fish it out before serving.
Save your Parmesan rinds: When you’re done (or almost done) with a wedge of Parmesan, freeze the rind. Don’t waste them, because they have so much flavor. They’re especially great in vegetable soups like minestrone that don’t have a lot of fat on their own.
Extra protein: Browned ground beef would be delicious here. Shrimp would be quite good too. Sauté it separately so it gets some browning.
Garlic and onion: Feel free to use more or less of either, to taste.
Make Ahead and Leftovers
Truthfully, this isn’t a soup I’d recommend freezing. It comes together so quickly that there’s not much reason to, and the tortellini doesn’t hold up well. As the soup cools, the tortellini keeps absorbing the broth, gets bloated and mushy, and leaves you without much liquid.
If you know you’ll have leftovers, cook the tortellini separately, like I always say. I put mine right in the pot this time because I knew we’d finish it the first night. We did.
Ingredients
Olive oil: Divided. Two tablespoons go into the pot to start, and the last tablespoon gets drizzled over each bowl at the end.
Onion and garlic: The base of the soup. Feel free to use more or less of either, to taste.
Fresh rosemary: Leaves from 2 sprigs, minced (about 2 teaspoons). It cooks with the garlic until everything’s very fragrant.
Tomato paste: Cooked for about a minute until it turns deep red. Don’t have any? Leave it out and throw in a Parmesan rind instead for a similar umami flavor.
Chickpeas: Don’t drain them. The chickpeas go in with their liquid.
Stock: Vegetable or chicken, low-sodium or homemade.
Cheese tortellini: Prepared tortellini makes this really easy to throw together. Use gluten-free tortellini if you need to, or swap in ditalini or elbows for something closer to a classic pasta e ceci. Expecting leftovers? Cook the tortellini separately so it doesn’t soak up all the broth.
Greens: Spinach, Tuscan kale, or Swiss chard, rinsed and chopped. Not traditional, but I’m getting some veg in there whenever possible. They go in at the very end and only need a couple of minutes to wilt.
Parmesan or pecorino: Grated over the top right before serving.
Parmesan rind (optional): Great in place of tomato paste, and in any soup that could use more flavor. Save your rinds in the freezer.
How to Make my Stewy Tortellini Soup
- Sauté the onion: In a medium-large heavy-bottomed pot or deep sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until it shimmers. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and rosemary: Add the garlic and rosemary and cook, stirring, until the garlic is barely browned and very fragrant.
- Cook the tomato paste: Stir in the tomato paste, salt, and pepper and cook with the garlic for 45 to 60 seconds, until deep red. (No tomato paste? Skip this step and add a Parmesan rind with the stock in step 4.)
- Add the chickpeas and stock: Add the chickpeas with their liquid, the stock, the bay leaf, and a big pinch of salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Stir to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Taste the broth: Remove the lid and taste the broth. Add salt if it needs it.
- Cook the tortellini: Add the tortellini and cook, uncovered, for 5 to 7 minutes, until just shy of al dente (2 minutes less than the package directions). Expecting leftovers? Cook the tortellini separately instead and add it to each bowl.
- Wilt the greens: A few minutes before the tortellini is done, stir in the greens and cook until they wilt, about 2 minutes.
- Finish and serve: Remove the Parmesan rind, if you used one. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then ladle into bowls. Top with a drizzle of the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and the grated cheese, and serve right away.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pasta e ceci means “pasta and chickpeas.” It’s a staple of Italian peasant cooking, and this stewy tortellini soup is my riff on it. (My classic pasta e ceci recipe is coming in my third cookbook.)
I don’t recommend it. The tortellini keeps absorbing broth as the soup cools, so it gets bloated and mushy and leaves you without much liquid. Plus, the soup comes together so quickly that there’s not much reason to freeze it.
If you know you’ll have leftovers, cook the tortellini separately and add it to each bowl. That keeps it from soaking up all the broth.
Yes, use a gluten-free tortellini.
Yes. Ditalini or elbows work, and they get you closer to a classic pasta e ceci.
Spinach, Tuscan kale, or Swiss chard all work. Rinse and chop them, then stir them in at the end so they can wilt.
Stewy Tortellini Soup with Chickpeas and Greens
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- fresh rosemary- 2 sprigs, minced (2 teaspoons)
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, with their liquid
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock, low-sodium or homemade
- 12 oz. dried cheese tortellini, store bought ( I like a gluten free tortellini)
- 1 1/2 cups packed chopped greens, rinsed (spinach, Tuscan kale, or Swiss chard)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese
Instructions
- Sauté the onion: In a medium-large heavy-bottomed pot or deep sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until it shimmers. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and rosemary: Add the garlic and rosemary and cook, stirring, until the garlic is barely browned and very fragrant.
- Cook the tomato paste: Stir in the tomato paste, salt, and pepper and cook with the garlic for 45 to 60 seconds, until deep red. (No tomato paste? Skip this step and add a Parmesan rind with the stock in step 4.)
- Add the chickpeas and stock: Add the chickpeas with their liquid, the stock, the bay leaf, and a big pinch of salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Stir to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Taste the broth: Remove the lid and taste the broth. Add salt if it needs it.
- Cook the tortellini: Add the tortellini and cook, uncovered, for 5 to 7 minutes, until just shy of al dente (2 minutes less than the package directions). Expecting leftovers? Cook the tortellini separately instead and add it to each bowl.
- Wilt the greens: A few minutes before the tortellini is done, stir in the greens and cook until they wilt, about 2 minutes.
- Finish and serve: Taste and adjust the seasoning, then ladle into bowls. Top with a drizzle of the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and the grated cheese, and serve right away.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
