This ravioli soup is made in just 20 minutes with simple ingredients: pasta, broth, wine, seasonings, and spinach. It is vegetarian and dairy-free, making one of those quick and easy dinners for busy weekdays!
This is soup day! I am serving one of my family's favorite soups for dinner tonight: Ravioli Soup!
My husband and I were introduced to this comforting Italian-style soup in 2005 when we visited my sister in Southern Brazil.
This is an area with a large number of Italian immigrants, who for scores of years have widely influenced its cuisine, along with German immigrants.
My sister had moved there a few years earlier, and we decided to spend Christmas week with her. We have so many good memories of those days...
Well, she and her husband took us to this cozy restaurant in the Rio Grande do Sul State, on the road between the towns of Garibaldi and Bento Gonçalves in the heart of Brazil's wine country.
At the time the restaurant was named Giuseppe's but now is called Casa di Paolo.
I'll never forget my hubby's facial expression when he tasted the first spoonful. It was love at first bite! 🙂
Since then, I have been making this ravioli soup -- or at least my take on Giuseppe's soup, substituting ravioli for cappelletti.
This clear broth soup is quick and easy to make... But don't be fooled by its simplicity!
Although our ravioli soup requires few ingredients, it tastes AMAZING.
Try this ravioli in brodo (ravioli in broth) and you'll see how tasty it is!
Ravioli Soup Recipe
Our recipe calls for a few simple ingredients: pasta, broth, wine, onion, garlic, seasonings, and spinach.
Of course, its main ingredient is ravioli, a traditional Italian stuffed pasta that often has a square shape -- although it can also be circular or semi-circular.
They are commonly stuffed with ricotta cheese and Italian herbs. But other varieties are available such as butternut squash, mushrooms, beef, lobster, etc.
Most recipes serve ravioli in broth (like in this soup) or with sauce.
Raviolini (or ravioletti) is the small version of this pasta!
Ingredients and Substitutions
To make this simple ravioli soup, you'll need:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ small yellow onion, finely diced (or white onion)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ cup white wine
- 6 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth if you are not on a vegetarian diet)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 10 oz package of four-cheese ravioli (store-bought) -- if you are on a dairy-free diet, use a vegetable ravioli instead.
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or any other fresh herb(s)
- A pinch of red pepper flakes (optional), Only if you enjoy spicy foods!
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach (optional)
- Freshly grated or shredded parmesan cheese (optional), only if you are not on a dairy-free diet.
How to Make Ravioli Soup
Heat a medium Dutch pan or pot over medium heat, add the oil and sauté the onion for about 4-5 minutes or until soft and translucent, stirring now and then. Cook the garlic for about 1 minute, stirring now and then. Do not let it brown!
Pour in the wine and let evaporate to half. Stir in the broth, salt, and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring it to a boil.
Add the ravioli and the thyme, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let the ravioli cook uncovered for about 5-7 minutes or until almost tender. Add the spinach and let it cook for about 2-3 minutes. Adjust the seasonings and serve ravioli soup hot with a drizzle of olive oil and cheese on top, if desired.
Choosing Types of Ravioli
I used refrigerated ravioli for this soup recipe.
But you can use dried or frozen ravioli although these will take longer to cook and the frozen type may become mushy.
What to Serve with
- Bread: Garlic bread, hard-crusted such as this no yeast bread, and Portuguese corn bread, focaccia, or breadsticks like this gluten-free breadsticks.
- Salad: A simple salad such as Caesar salad for a soup-and-salad quick lunch.
- Panini or Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Vegetables: Seasonal ones such as air fryer asparagus, air fryer Brussels Sprouts, roasted carrots and parsnips, or air fryer broccolini.
EXPERT TIPS
- The longer the ravioli sit in broth, the more they will absorb some of the liquid. You may have to add more broth to the soup.
- Make sure to adjust the seasonings to your taste. It may require more salt if you use a low-sodium broth!
- I would prefer to use dried ravioli because they can hold their shape longer than fresh refrigerated ones. Be aware frozen ravioli will get mushy too quickly and fall apart in this ravioli soup.
- You can customize your own soup by adding protein such as shredded chicken, sausage rounds, or ground beef, replacing spinach, or using ravioli filled with different fillings.
- If you using shredded rotisserie chicken instead of raw chicken, add it to our ravioli in broth about 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time. If you add it at the beginning, it will become dry!
- For a creamy ravioli soup recipe, add heavy cream after you remove the pot from the heat. Let it sit for 3-5 minutes in order to heat through.
HOW TO STORE
Let the ravioli soup cool and then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Freeze either in airtight containers or gallon-sized freezer zipper bags. Because liquids expand when frozen, leave about an inch at the top of the bag to allow expansion. To avoid freezer burn, remove any excess air.
The best way to freeze this soup is to lay bags down in a flat single layer on cookie sheets and place them in the freezer on a level surface. After they are frozen, stack the bags up on their side in the freezer to save space.
Thaw in the fridge overnight.
How to Reheat Ravioli Soup
Reheat over low heat on the stovetop or in the microwave at 60% power, avoiding overcooking any ingredients before heating through. You may need to add more broth if the pasta and broth were stored mixed.
If you have stored your ravioli separate from your broth soup base, combine the two in a pot and simmer over low heat until heated through.
OTHER PASTA SOUPS
PIN & ENJOY!
Ravioli Soup
Equipment
- 1 pot
- 1 wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ small yellow onion finely diced (or white onion)
- 1 garlic clove minced
- ½ cup white wine
- 6 cups vegetable broth (homemade or store-bought), or chicken brought if you are not on a vegetarian diet.
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 10 oz package of four-cheese ravioli store-bought and refrigerated. If you are diabetic, use whole wheat ravioli. If you are celiac, use gluten-free ravioli. If you are on a dairuy-free diet, use a vegetable ravioli.
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or any other fresh herb(s)
- A pinch of red pepper flakes optional, Only if you enjoy spicy foods!
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach optional
- Freshly grated or shredded parmesan cheese optional (only if you are not on a dairy-free diet).
Instructions
- Heat a medium Dutch pan or pot over medium heat, add the oil and sauté the onion for about 4-5 minutes or until soft and translucent, stirring now and then. Cook the garlic for about 1 minute, stirring now and then. Do not let it brown!
- Pour in the wine and let evaporate to half. Stir in the broth, salt, and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring it to a boil.
- Add the ravioli and the thyme, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let the ravioli cook uncovered for about 5-7 minutes or until almost tender. Add the spinach and let it cook for about 2-3 minutes. Adjust the seasonings and serve ravioli soup hot with a drizzle of olive oil and cheese on top, if desired.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
This post was first published on February 20, 2013.
Nydia says
This idea is wonderful. We have the wonton soup but never ravioli, but please, it's quite the same (sorry for Italians and Chinese), I mean, both are paste filled with something. I can't wait for Winter to try this.
Denise Browning says
Thanks, Nydia! I hope you have the chance to try it...It's very good! xx
Deb says
What a marvelous soup recipe, easy and bursting with flavor! A fantastic weeknight dinner idea!
Denise Browning says
Thanks, Deb! This is one of our favorite soups b/c it is simple and full of flavor. Thanks for visiting me. xx
Coffee and Crumpets says
Wow Denise, just a handful of ingredients and the soup looks amazing! We have a lot of snow in our forecast the next few days, I am going to make this. Made soup today too..it was cold over here.
Nazneen xx
Denise Browning says
Thanks, my dear Nazneen!
I wish I was there to eat your soup. You make great food.
I hope you have the opportunity to try this ravioli soup. It is one of my family's favorite soup.
Have a great weekend! xx
Nami | Just One Cookbook says
I've never made homemade ravioli but we always stock ravioli in case of busy night. I love your ravioli soup...so comforting especially on cold nights we're having.
Denise Browning says
Thanks, Nami!
My family and I love soups...This one is one of our favorite. It's simple, quick to make but full of flavor.
Thanks for stopping by!
Evelyn says
For what it's worth - I believe chicken broth is not considered a "vegetarian" ingredient
Denise Browning says
You are correct! I see now that the part that says to use vegetable broth if you are on a vegetarian diet was erased or cut off. I apologize for that, but it is an easy fix. Thank you for point it out. I am adding a note to the recipe now.
Ginny McMeans says
This sounds so simple and beautiful. My husband will love it. Thanks!
Denise Browning says
Glad that you like this soup, Ginny! It's one of my family's favorite soups.
AcesHigh says
Denise, I never had raviolli soup here in Rio Grande do Sul... it´s always capelletti soup. And capelletti is somewhat different from raviolli, starting with the shape, but also the taste is different as well as the consistency...
Denise Browning says
Roger:
What a pity! We had both a ravioli soup and a cappelletti soup at different restaurants in Rio Grande do Sul when I visited my sister in 2005. She lived there for 5 years. The restaurant where we had the cappelletti soup doesn't exist anymore unfortunately, as you can read its name in my article. It was a simple place yet with amazing food! I also explained in my article that my ravioli soup was ADAPTED from the 'capeleti in brodo' that my husband had in that restaurant. It is my take on 'capeleti in brodo' -- the same clear broth soup but with a different pasta.Under no circumstance did I say that cappelletti was the same as ravioli. Here is a copy of one of several paragraphs of my article:
"Since then, I have been making this ravioli soup -- or at least my take on Giuseppe's soup, substituting ravioli for cappelletti. This clear broth soup is quick and easy to make.... But don't be fooled by its simplicity!!! Although our ravioli soup requires few ingredients, it tastes AMAZING."
There are many restaurants there so just because you have never had a ravioli soup it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. People and restaurants down there, as you should know, don't cook only traditional dishes. There are new dishes and also adaptation of traditional ones. 'Capeleti in broth' is the traditional dish but this doesn't mean restaurants don't use other type of pastas to make soup. I am not Italian, but I know the difference between different pastas. I know what ravioli is as well as cappelletti and tortellini -- as you said the shapes are different (as well as the dough and fillings). Before you say something else, here is another soup in my blog from the same year that I visited my sister in Rio Grande do Sul: 'Capeleti in brodo' (cappelletti soup)--
http://www.frombraziltoyou.org/tortellini-soup-capelete-in-brodo/
Since I wasn't able to find cappelleti at my local supermarkets, I used tortellini instead (the closest in shape to cappelletti). I even put a note under the recipe in English.