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This Creamy Tortellini French Onion Soup has everything you love about a warming, cheesy bowl of French onion soup – and so much more. There’s fresh tortellini and a touch of cream to make every spoonful cheesy, rich, and creamy. Onions that are slowly caramelized in a splash of wine, along with garlic, mushrooms, and fresh herbs. Together they deliver the most delicious flavor. Just add that classic cheesy bread topping and you’ll have the perfect bowl of soup that’s hearty enough for the coldest nights. Make this on the stove or in the crockpot!
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I’ve had this idea all month long and hesitated to make it. I wasn’t sure if the concept was too weird or not. But in the end, we had the chilliest week and I couldn’t resist testing this out on a snowy, 20-degree day.
I knew it had potential, but this one is special, meaning, it’s extra delicious. It is rich, but that’s perfect for the coldest days. With November coming, it’s time for a soup like this!
The idea came from two of my favorite soup recipes. My french onion and my crockpot tortellini soup. I make them both fairly often. You all seem to love them too! Especially the simple healthier slow cooker creamy tortellini vegetable soup, it’s always very popular this time of year.
I loved the sound of combining the two soups, taking elements of each and blending them into one. As I said, I hesitated, but I shouldn’t have, we all ended up really enjoying this!
The details
Start with sweet yellow onions and butter. You have to get them caramelized before everything else is added. Even if you decide to make the crockpot variation, you’ll need to do this step.
Let the butter bubble around the onions. When they become soft, add a good splash of dry white wine to help quickly break the onions down and caramelize them. For the wine, I use a dry white wine, which is pretty traditional in most French onion soups.
It’s delish.
If you prefer not to cook with wine, I recommend using an equal amount of apple cider or apple juice to caramelize the onions.
When the onions are caramelized, you can add everything else. The garlic, herbs, and mushrooms, then pour in some broth. Add a parmesan rind for more flavor, then simmer to allow the flavors to really mend.
You can finish this up in the bowl of your slow cooker as well. I gave the directions for both the crockpot and stove-top variations. Both options are really great!
Either way, the kitchen will smell incredible all day long. So cozy and inviting.
Once the soup has finished cooking, before serving, stir in the cream or milk and the cheese tortellini. Cook another few minutes, then ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls.
Even though this soup has cheese tortellini, I still had to top each bowl off with cheesy French bread. It’s the best part of french onion soup!
So top each bowl with toasted french bread and gruyère cheese. Bake until melted and bubbling. OH, so delicious! When you pull these out of the oven there’s a real wow factor.
If you don’t have any oven-safe bowls, simply melt the cheese onto the bread, then add the side of crusty bread to the soup.
Excited to have this recipe as an updated version of the classic, especially for the holidays! I know it’s going to be a hit with everyone coming to visit this year, it’s perfect for any night of the week!
Looking for other warming fall/winter soups? Here are my favorites:
Healthier Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Vegetable Soup
Spicy Buffalo White Chicken Chili
Slow Cooker Creamy White Bean Noodle Soup with Rosemary Bacon
Cream of Mushroom Soup with Garlic Herb Breadcrumbs
Lastly, if you make this Creamy Tortellini French Onion Soup, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Creamy Tortellini French Onion Soup
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 4 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 cups sliced cremini or wild mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 6-8 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 parmesan cheese rind
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or whole milk
- 1 pound fresh cheese tortellini
- 6 slices french bread
- 2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary or thyme
Instructions
Stove
- 1. Melt together the butter and onions in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the wine, 1/4 cup at a time, until the wine cooks into the onions. Continue to cook another 10-15 minutes until you've used all of the wine and the onions are deeply caramelized.2. Add the garlic, mushrooms, thyme, and sage. Season with salt and pepper, cook another 3-4 minutes. Add the broth, parmesan rind, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and return the soup to a simmer, simmer 10 minutes, then stir in the cream and tortellini. Cook another 3-5 minutes. Remove the parmesan rind and discard. Season to taste with salt and pepper.3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400° F. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet and toast for 10-15 minutes, until very dry. Switch the oven to broil.4. Ladle the soup into oven safe bowls. Add a slice of bread to each, and top evenly with cheese. Add rosemary, or thyme if desired. Place each soup bowl on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven, broil until bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Eat!
Crockpot
- 1. Melt together the butter and onions in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the wine, 1/4 cup at a time, until the wine cooks into the onions. Continue to cook another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the onions to the crockpot bowl.2. To the crockpot, add the garlic, mushrooms, thyme, and sage. Add the broth, parmesan rind, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. During the last 15 minutes of cooking, stir in the cream and tortellini.4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400° F. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet and toast for 10-15 minutes, until very dry. Switch the oven to broil.5. Ladle the soup into oven safe bowls. Add a slice of bread to each, and top evenly with cheese. Add rosemary, or thyme if desired. Place each soup bowl on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven, broil until bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Eat!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
I’ve made this twice now and it is absolutely amazing! Best French onion soup I’ve ever had.
Thanks so much for your comment, Siara! So glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you giving it a try! Xx
I admit, I did not read the recipe before starting and had no idea it required a crockpot. But no matter! It tasted delicious! We used tete de moine cheese and can’t wait to have it again for lunch tomorrow!
Thanks so so much Wendy! xT
If I don’t have small soup bowls is it still possible to make this in one big pot?
Hi Marleigh,
You are going to make this in one big pot but then transfer to small soup bowls for serving. I hope this helps! xx
insulting to both italians and french at the same time. impressive!
Is it possible to make the soup ahead of time and then re-warm/add in the cream and tortellini next day?
Hi there! Yes, that should be fine! xT
Hi Tieghan!
I love the oven safe soup bowls you have. What size are they (oz)?
Thank you!
One of our favorite recipe!
Hey Colleen,
Fantastic!! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
So so good! I used a mix of chicken broth and beef broth because that’s what I had on hand, turned out perfect. My 10 year old has a huge aversion to mushrooms so I left them out, but still tasted great! Such a warm and comforting meal during the winter.
Hi Ashlee,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
I have made this recipe several times this winter and everyone I have served it to has loved it. Yesterday when I made it, instead of slicing the French bread, I made it into croutons and served on top of the soup. It was much easier to eat this way! This recipe has quickly become a staple in my house, thank you!
Hey Gail,
Happy Monday!!☃️ Thanks a lot for making this recipe so often and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was is always a winner! xx
Might be a weird question but new to cooking. Do you cook the tortellini per package directions prior to adding with onions etc or put in uncooked straight from package? Thank you
Hey Holly,
So this recipe calls for fresh tortellini which will cook right in the broth:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Thank you!
Delicious!!! I have been on a “french onion” kick. I made your one pot french onion pasta earlier this week. Yum and house smells so good.
Hey Lori,
Happy Wednesday!!🎇 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you making it! xx
Loved this recipe and will be making again! The only part I was unsure about was how much onion I added. Do you have a recommendation for how many cups to use vs. number of onions? The best part is definitely the melty cheese and crouton on top, delicious!
Hey Taylor,
Fantastic!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! I would say each onion is about 1 cup. xx
I really liked this adaptation of French onion soup! Previously I’d only made it with red wine and beef stock so this was a nice change. The broth was really flavorful and I didn’t even add mushrooms or the parmesan rind. (Used vegetable broth and stove top method.)
You obviously don’t need to add tortellini (or cream) but I feel it made for a heartier soup-more of a meal, which my husband appreciated. 😉
Thanks Tieghan! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Hey Natalie,
Happy Tuesday!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it turned out tasty for you! xT
Just enjoyed this with my family. Oh my
Goodness, this is absolutely delicious. This will be in our go-to list from now on.
Hey Debbie,
Awesome!! 🍂 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for trying it out! xx
Hi Tieghan, my sister introduced me to your recipes a year ago. We live in different states, but we frequently share your recipes we have tried at home that are hits with our families and we both get comments from said family members that the food is restaurant quality. I am actually visiting my sister (she lives in Oregon and I live in Minnesota), and we decided to make this French onion soup recipe together because it sounded amazing. We both loved it, and this will definitely be a recipe we will make again. The flavors were wonderful and even though French onion soup doesn’t need tortellini, we both liked the addition. Please keep creating your delicious recipes and thanks for sharing them.
Hey Vega,
Awe, thanks so much for sharing this story, it’s so awesome that you and your sister can spend time together cooking:) I love that this recipe turned out tasty for you, thanks so much for giving it a try! xx