This Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup recipe is deliciously satisfying and seriously comforting! With stuffed, cheesy tortellini pasta, fresh vegetables, and tender chunks of juicy shredded chicken, it’s a hearty soup that is ready in under an hour.
Table of Contents
We LOVE soup and I’m always looking to expand my collection of the best soup recipes. This one has skyrocketed to the top of my list and I’m currently obsessed with the flavors and textures in the creamy, savory broth that is perfectly seasoned with parmesan cheese.
My easy chicken tortellini soup recipe has tender chicken, nutritious veggies, and cheese-filled tortellini cooked in a rich and flavorful broth with just the right amount of cream and parmesan cheese to set it apart from any other soup you have tried.
It’s a twist on the classic chicken noodle soup, bringing the rich flavors of Italian seasoning together with the satisfying textures of cheese-filled tortellini.
I would include it with other Italian-inspired pasta soup recipes with hearty broths like my Minestrone Soup with Italian Sausage, Italian Wedding Soup, One Pot Lasagna Soup, and Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup!
It’s perfect for cold weather or even just busy weeknights where you want to feed the family without the fuss of messing up loads of pots and pans! I have even prepped the soup early in the day, then waiting to add the tortellini and spinach until the evening just before serving.
Why We Love This Recipe
- This comforting soup is so versatile! Use your favorite kind of pasta, vegetables, or cheese in this recipe to make it truly your own!
- It’s a one-pot dish that’s great for feeding the whole family in less than an hour.
- Great for using a rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken or turkey, and you can even pack leftover veggies into this dish too!
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Oil – Use olive oil to sauté the vegetables, providing a base that will carry the flavors throughout the soup.
- Onion & Garlic – They provide the base aromatics, offering depth and a savory backdrop that enhances the overall taste.
- Carrots – Adds a touch of sweetness, color, nutrients, and a lovely contrast in texture.
- Flour – Use all-purpose flour to help thicken the soup, giving it that coveted creamy consistency without needing too much heavy cream.
- Seasoning – Use a combination of Italian Seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and freshly ground pepper to amplify the natural flavors of the other ingredients and add the perfect amount of heat without making it spicy.
- Chicken – I’ve used boneless, skinless chicken breasts in this dish. I always have some in the freezer, it’s lean, cooks quickly, and shreds easily for bite-sized pieces throughout the soup.
- Broth – Chicken broth is the flavorful liquid base of the soup. You can use vegetable broth or water, if you prefer.
- Pasta – I’ve used refrigerated cheese tortellini pasta for this comforting dish. These little pockets of cheesy goodness make the soup hearty and satisfying!
- Heavy Cream – Adds richness and a velvety texture to the soup, balancing the broth beautifully.
- Cheese – Freshly grated parmesan cheese brings a nutty, salty flavor to the soup and helps thicken the broth too.
- Spinach – Fresh baby spinach leaves will add color, nutrition, and a mild earthy flavor without overpowering the soup.
- Parsley – Use fresh parsley for a fresh, herby pop to the final dish that brightens up the presentation.
How to Make This Recipe
- Sauté onion and garlic, and add carrots. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add the chopped onions and minced garlic; sauté for 2 minutes. Then, add the carrots and sauté for about 3–4 minutes until tender.
- Add flour. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. Stir continuously to create a roux, cooking for 1-2 minutes. This step thickens the soup.
- Mix in seasoning. Add Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper.
- Add chicken and broth. Next, add the chicken breast and chicken broth to the pot. Mix until well combined.
- Cook. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Then, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld, and the chicken cooks thoroughly. If I’m making this soup ahead to serve later, this is where I stop and let it cool before refrigerating, then I reheat and continue with the recipe later when we are ready to eat.
- Add pasta. Add the cheese tortellini pasta to the soup pot. They don’t take long to cook at all.
- Shred the chicken. Transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board. Shred or chop the chicken.
- Mix shredded chicken into the pot. Add the chopped chicken to the pot and let it simmer for 5-7 minutes.
- Add cream, cheese, and spinach. After simmering, reduce the heat to low. Pour in the heavy cream, grated parmesan cheese, and baby spinach leaves. Stir until the cheese is melted and the soup becomes creamy.
- Garnish with parsley and serve. Remove the soup pot from the heat. Stir in fresh chopped parsley for a burst of color and freshness. Ladle the creamy chicken tortellini soup into bowls. Serve hot with crusty bread or a side salad for a wholesome and satisfying meal.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes, frozen tortellini can be used in this recipe instead of refrigerated, but I do prefer the refrigerated kind. If you use the frozen stuff, just add a few extra minutes to the cooking time to ensure they are fully cooked through.
Use leftover rotisserie chicken or leftover turkey for this recipe instead of raw chicken. Simply shred or dice the chicken and add it at the end – this will reduce the cooking time overall.
Once the soup has cooled to room temperature, store it in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave for 2–5 minutes or on the stovetop until heated through.
Pasta dishes don’t usually freeze well. If you plan to freeze this soup, omit the tortellini while cooking and cool it completely before freezing. Freezing in portions helps with reheating. Thaw the frozen soup overnight in the refrigerator, then microwave for 2–5 minutes until hot.
Tips for Success
- Make sure to simmer the chicken and not boil it. Boiling might overcook the chicken, resulting in a rubbery texture.
- You can use frozen tortellini, but ensure a slightly longer cooking time to reach the perfect tenderness.
- Remember to taste test the soup at the end of the cooking time, in case anything needs to be adjusted before serving.
What Do I Serve with Chicken Tortellini Soup?
This soup is pretty hearty on its own, but we love having any kind of soup with some bread on the side.
A slice of my Roasted Garlic & Rosemary No-Knead Artisan Bread with butter is perfect, but you could also try my Grilled Garlic Bread, and even these Cheesy Garlic Mozzarella Swirl Rolls for even more cheesy goodness.
Tortellini Soup goes well with a fresh side salad too.
Try my Olive Garden Salad with Copycat Dressing, or my Heirloom Tomato Salad with Burrata for some deliciously fresh flavors!
Substitutions and Variations
- Chicken can be replaced with turkey, ground beef, Italian sausage, and ground pork. For vegetarian or vegan protein options, tofu, tempeh, and canned beans can be used.
- Pretty much any vegetable can be used for this soup, such as broccoli, green beans, potatoes, mushrooms, peas, celery, corn, or zucchini. Check what you have leftover in the fridge before you begin!
- If you’re out of Italian seasoning, you can make your own by mixing equal parts of dried basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme.
- Use a non-stuffed pasta if you prefer, or you can opt for cheese-filled ravioli or another stuffed pasta for a twist. For a lighter (but still stuffed) version, choose spinach-filled pasta.
- You can use half-and-half or full-fat coconut milk as an alternative to heavy cream if you want to cut down on fat or dairy content.
More Delicious Soup Recipes You’ll Love
- Zuppa Toscana Soup
- One Pot Lasagna Soup
- Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup
- Easy Minestrone Soup
- Chicken Avacado Lime Soup
- Cheesy Taco Soup
- Chicken Noodle & Dumpling Soup
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups chopped carrots (about 4-5 medium carrots)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 9 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini pasta
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add the chopped onions and minced garlic; sauté for 2 minutes. Then, add the carrots and sauté for about 3–4 minutes until tender.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. Stir continuously to create a roux, cooking for 1-2 minutes. This step thickens the soup.
- Add Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken breast and chicken broth to the pot. Mix until well combined.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Then, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld, and the chicken cooks thoroughly.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board. Shred or chop the chicken. Add the chopped chicken and the cheese tortellini pasta to the soup pot. Let it simmer for 5-7 minutes.
- After simmering, reduce the heat to low. Pour in the heavy cream, grated parmesan cheese, and baby spinach leaves. Stir until the cheese is melted and the soup becomes creamy.
- Remove the soup pot from the heat. Stir in fresh chopped parsley for a burst of color and freshness. Ladle the creamy chicken tortellini soup into bowls. Serve hot with crusty bread or a side salad for a wholesome and satisfying meal.
Notes
- Store: Once the soup has cooled to room temperature, store it in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave for 2–5 minutes or on the stovetop until heated through.
- Freeze: Pasta dishes don’t usually freeze well. If you plan to freeze this soup, omit the tortellini while cooking and cool it completely before freezing. Freezing in portions helps with reheating. Thaw the frozen soup overnight in the refrigerator, then microwave for 2–5 minutes until hot.
Such an easy and delicious soup recipe! Everyone loved it. It was perfect for this cold day.
We usually use sausage for our soup, but I tried this recipe and it’s just as good! Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you for this recipe! I had to come leave a 5 star review. My kids loved it and have requested it AGAIN! Miracle of all miracles!
I’m so glad to hear that! Yay for new family favorites!
This soup was so easy to make and SOOO cozy! Thank you for the recipe!
This soup has the best flavor! Everyone in my family loved it!
This is absolutely, 100%, the BEST tortellini soup recipe. It was my first soup from scratch, I added just a teeny tiny bit if celery and had to substitute half of the heavy cream with Mexican style crema just because I ran out and went with something I had on hand and my family went crazy for this soup! Even in the heat of summer they loved it and still ask me to make it a couple months later. I only wish I had taken pictures because it really was a beautiful soup and the taste was hands down 10 out of 10! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe 🙂
Wow! Thank you! Sounds like you made a delicious soup! I’m glad your family enjoyed it. This is one of my daughter’s favorite soup.
Greast Recipe
Thank you!