This is the kind of soup that I crave as we transition into warmer Spring weather. It’s extremely simple, green, and bright. Cheesy tortellini gets cooked with beans in a simple broth that gets transformed into a bright green liquid by blending the broth with spinach. Be sure to top it with plenty of feta and herbs!
Ingredient Highlight
Beans! are a great way to get protein along with a heavy dose of fiber, complex carbs, folic acid, iron, magnesium, and potassium to name a few. They are famous for making you fart (hehe) because of the specific sugars (oligosaccharides) they contain that we have trouble breaking down. Cooking your beans from scratch reduces the fart-causing substances!
Servings 4 People
Prep Time 5 minutes 
Cook Time 10 minutes Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts, about 1 heaping cup)
- 3 celery stalks thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, divided
- 6 cups water
- 2 15 oz can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 1 10 oz pack tortellini (about 2 ½ cups)
- 2 cups frozen spinach or 1 small bunch kale (see note)*
- 2 tbsp mellow white miso paste
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- Crumbled feta cheese for topping
- Black pepper
- Fresh herbs (mint, parsley, and/ordill)
- *To use kale, add 1 small bunch kale (stems removed but leaves intact) to the pot once the broth is boiling before adding the tortellini. Cover and let boil/simmer for 2 minutes, then use tongs to transfer the kale leaves into the blender. Then add the tortellini to the pot and follow the recipe.
- *I preferred this with kale – it was a much more vibrant green and had more substance, but using frozen spinach is a good time saver.
- Note: ~ FYI the soup is a beautiful bright green color when you first add the green liquid, but as it sits it turns a more muddled green color.
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, add the oil, scallions, celery, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the water, beans, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Increase the heat to high to bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove about 1 cup of the liquid, getting some beans in there to help thicken it up, and transfer to a high speed blender. Stir the tortellini into the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions (usually around 2-4 minutes). Turn off the heat.
- In the blender, add the spinach and miso paste and blend until totally smooth. Pour back into the pot and stir in your lemon juice. Taste and add more salt or lemon, if needed.
- Serve topped with feta, black pepper, fresh herbs, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Thinly slice 1 bunch scallions
- Thinly slice 3 celery stalks
Substitutions:
- To make gluten-free, use a gluten-free tortellini.
- To make vegan, use a vegan tortellini and substitute the feta with some chopped green olives.
- If you can’t find tortellini, you could just make this with a short pasta variety and double down on the feta cheese. Of course, dried pasta will take longer to cook in the boiling water.
- You can essentially use any canned beans here!
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- The tortellini will get pretty soft and mushy sitting in that liquid, but I actually thought it tasted even better the next day!
- Reheat on the stove or in the microwave. Squeeze with some fresh lemon and top with fresh herbs along with the feta, black pepper, and oil.
- Top with a soft-boiled egg.
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