This chicken tortellini soup recipe started as a happy accident with a package of tortellini about to expire. I had chicken, I had broth, and I had twenty minutes before everyone got hangry. I threw it all in one pot, stirred in some cream at the end, and my family went silent in that good way. Now this chicken tortellini soup recipe is the one they request when someone has a cold or the day has just been too long.
What makes it special is the tortellini itself. Those little cheese-filled rings puff up in the broth and turn every spoonful into something a little luxurious. Tender chicken, pillowy tortellini, and fresh spinach in a creamy savory broth, all in one pot in about 30 minutes. This easy homemade chicken tortellini soup recipe tastes like comfort food from a little Italian café, but it is weeknight easy.
Quick facts: This chicken tortellini soup recipe takes 30 minutes total, serves 6, and uses just one pot.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Ready in 30 minutes. One pot, minimal chopping, faster than takeout.
- Cozy and creamy. Puffy tortellini plus a swirl of cream, pure comfort.
- Kid favorite. Cheese-filled pasta in soup, what is not to love?
- Flexible. Use any tortellini filling you like.
- Cozy comfort. Warm broth, tender chicken, and pillowy pasta, perfect for a chilly evening.
- One pot. The tortellini cooks right in the broth, soaking up flavor.
Ingredients You Will Need
Simple ingredients for this chicken tortellini soup recipe. The one thing worth buying fresh: refrigerated tortellini from the deli section cooks faster and tastes better than dried.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 lb chicken breast
- 6 cups chicken broth: I use low sodium so I can control the salt.
- 9 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Fresh basil, torn, for serving
Ingredient Notes
Tortellini. Refrigerated cheese tortellini cooks in 5 to 7 minutes. Frozen works too, with 2 to 3 extra minutes.
Chicken. Whole breasts poach in the broth and shred easily. Thighs work too.
Parmesan. Freshly grated melts into the broth better than the powdery kind in a shaker.
How to Make Chicken Tortellini Soup
Here is the step-by-step chicken tortellini soup recipe. The golden rule: cook the tortellini right in the broth, but do not overcook it, or the rings go mushy.
- Soften the vegetables. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the onion is soft. Stir in the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for 1 minute.
- Poach the chicken. Pour in the chicken broth and add the whole chicken breasts. Bring to a gentle boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and reaches 165°F (74°C) inside.
- Shred the chicken. Lift the chicken out onto a cutting board and shred it with two forks. It should fall apart easily. Set it aside while you cook the tortellini.
- Cook the tortellini. Bring the broth back to a gentle boil and add the tortellini. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes (check your package), until the rings are tender and puffed. Stir now and then so they do not stick.
- Make it creamy. Lower the heat and return the shredded chicken to the pot. Stir in the spinach until wilted, then the heavy cream and Parmesan. Warm through gently for 2 minutes. Do not boil hard once the cream is in.
- Season and serve. Taste and add salt and pepper until it tastes right. Ladle into bowls and top with extra Parmesan and torn basil while it is steaming hot.
Why This Chicken Tortellini Soup Recipe Works
A good chicken tortellini soup recipe comes down to three things. First, poached chicken. Cooking the breasts right in the broth keeps them juicy and flavors the soup at the same time. Second, in-broth tortellini. The pasta releases a little starch as it cooks, which gives the broth a lovely light body. Third, cream at the end. It goes in over gentle heat at the very end, so this chicken tortellini soup recipe stays silky instead of splitting.
My Best Tips for Perfect Soup
Use fresh tortellini. Refrigerated tortellini cooks in minutes and has a tender bite. Dried works in a pinch but needs longer, so check the package in this chicken tortellini soup recipe.
Do not overcook the rings. Tortellini goes from perfect to mushy fast. Start checking a minute before the package time.
Shred, do not cube. Shredded chicken catches more broth in every bite. Two forks, thirty seconds, done.
Parmesan rind trick. If you have one, toss a Parmesan rind into the broth while the chicken poaches. It melts into the background and adds incredible depth to this chicken tortellini soup recipe.
Leftovers and tortellini. The tortellini keeps soaking up broth overnight. When reheating, add a splash of broth to loosen it back up.
Easy Variations to Try
This chicken tortellini soup recipe is easy to change up. These are my family’s favorite twists.
- With sausage: swap the chicken for browned Italian sausage.
- Tomato version: add a can of diced tomatoes with the broth.
- Extra greens: stir in chopped kale instead of spinach.
- Lighter: skip the cream and add an extra squeeze of lemon.
- Mushroom: sauté sliced mushrooms with the vegetables.
What to Serve With Chicken Tortellini Soup
Honestly, this chicken tortellini soup recipe needs nothing more than garlic bread for dunking and extra Parmesan for showering on top. A simple green salad keeps it balanced. And on full soup weeks we rotate it with our creamy tomato soup recipe, our chicken noodle soup recipe, our chicken potato soup recipe, our chicken mushroom soup recipe, and our broccoli cheese soup recipe.
How to Store and Reheat
This chicken tortellini soup recipe stores well with one little trick.
In the Refrigerator
Let it cool, then refrigerate within 2 hours in a covered container and use within 3 days. The tortellini will absorb broth as it sits. Reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of broth to loosen it, until it reaches 165°F (74°C), as the USDA recommends for leftovers.
In the Freezer
You can freeze the soup base for up to 3 months, but freeze it without the tortellini, which goes mushy when frozen. Cook fresh tortellini when you reheat. Honestly, this chicken tortellini soup recipe is so fast that I usually just make it fresh.
Final Thoughts
This chicken tortellini soup recipe is the one my family asks for when the day has been long and the weather is grey. Twenty minutes of chopping and simmering, and suddenly everyone is at the table. I hope it does the same magic at yours. If you try it, come back and tell me how it went. I read every comment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen tortellini?
Yes. Add frozen tortellini straight to the boiling broth in this chicken tortellini soup recipe and give it 2 to 3 extra minutes. No need to thaw first.
What filling is best?
Cheese is classic and kid-approved. Mushroom or spinach tortellini are wonderful too in this chicken tortellini soup recipe. Avoid meat-filled tortellini with chicken, it gets to be too much.
Can I use rotisserie chicken?
Absolutely. Skip the poaching step and stir in about 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken with the tortellini in this chicken tortellini soup recipe. Dinner gets even faster.
How do I keep it from getting too thick?
The tortellini starch thickens the broth as it sits. Just stir in extra broth when reheating this chicken tortellini soup recipe until it looks right to you.
Can I make it dairy free?
Skip the cream and Parmesan, and use a dairy-free tortellini. The broth is still delicious in this chicken tortellini soup recipe thanks to the poached chicken and vegetables.
How many people does this chicken tortellini soup serve?
About 6 bowls, around 1⅓ cups each. For a crowd, double the broth and ingredients and use a larger pot.
Why did my tortellini split open?
The broth was boiling too hard. Keep it at a gentle simmer so the rings stay intact and puffy, and stir gently.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes, but cook the tortellini just before serving. Make the broth with the chicken and vegetables ahead of time, then bring it to a simmer, add the tortellini, spinach, and cream when you are ready to eat.
Chicken Tortellini Soup Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onion, carrots and celery 5 to 6 minutes, then garlic and Italian seasoning 1 minute.
- Pour in broth, add whole chicken breasts. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer 12 to 15 minutes until cooked through and 165°F (74°C).
- Lift chicken out and shred with two forks.
- Return broth to a gentle boil, add tortellini, cook 5 to 7 minutes until tender.
- Lower heat, return chicken. Stir in spinach, then cream and Parmesan. Warm 2 minutes; do not boil hard.
- Taste, adjust salt and pepper, ladle into bowls, top with Parmesan and basil.
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