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A white bowl with tortellini and green vegetable soup

Tortellini Soup With Lemon Peel Broth

Jeanine Donofrio's easy recipe for lemony soup with tortellini and green vegetables.
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Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

Lemon Peel Broth

  • 4 celery stalks including leaves
  • 2 garlic bulbs sliced in half horizontally
  • peels from 4 lemons
  • 2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • 10 cups water

Tortellini Soup

  • 9 oz store-bought tortellini to make the dish vegan, use vegan tortellini
  • 4 cups Lemon Peel Broth
  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 1 cup frozen peas thawed
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves
  • extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
  • pinch red pepper flakes optional
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
 

Lemon Peel Broth

  • Place all the ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
  • Strain and discard the vegetables, peppercorns and lemon peels. Season to taste.

Tortellini Soup

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  • Prepare the tortellini according to the package instructions, cooking until al dente.
  • Drain and set aside.
  • Warm the broth in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat until heated through, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the cooked tortellini, spinach, peas, lemon juice and half the basil. Stir until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Season to taste.
  • Portion the soup into bowls and top with a drizzle of olive oil, the remaining basil, several grinds of pepper, and pinches of red pepper flakes, if desired.

Notes

To store broth: Allow it to cool to room temperature after cooking. Transfer it to airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.