This creamy chicken tortellini soup is the ultimate comfort food, perfect for those evenings when you crave something warm, hearty, and incredibly satisfying without spending hours in the kitchen. It’s a delicious blend of tender chicken, cheesy tortellini, and a rich, velvety broth that comes together effortlessly.
Whether you’re looking for a quick weeknight dinner or a cozy meal to share with family, this recipe delivers on both flavor and convenience. Get ready to add a new favorite to your dinner rotation!
Table of Contents
- What You’ll Love About This Quick And Easy Recipe
- Everything You Need To Make This Recipe Without Stress
- Time Needed From Start To Finish
- How To Make It Step By Step With Visual Cues
- Easy Variations And Serving Ideas That Fit Real Life
- Common Slip-Ups And How To Avoid Them
- How To Store It And Make It Ahead Without Ruining Texture
- Questions People Always Ask Before Making This Recipe
Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
This creamy chicken tortellini soup is the ultimate comfort food, perfect for those evenings when you crave something warm, hearty, and incredibly satisfying without spending hours in the kitchen. It’s a delicious blend of tender chicken, cheesy tortellini, and a rich, velvety broth that comes together effortlessly. Whether you’re looking for a quick weeknight dinner or a cozy meal to share with family, this recipe delivers on both flavor and convenience. Get ready to add a new favorite to your dinner rotation!
Ingredients
Instructions
1. Sauté the aromatics: Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the cubed chicken and cook until lightly browned on all sides, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Add the chopped onion, diced carrots, and diced celery to the same pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 5-7 minutes. The onion should become translucent.
2. Add the garlic and seasoning: Stir in the minced garlic and dried Italian seasoning. Cook for another minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
3. Build the broth base: Pour in the chicken broth and the can of undrained diced tomatoes. Return the cooked chicken to the pot. Stir in the salt and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the chicken to cook through.
4. Cook the tortellini: Increase the heat back to medium-high and add the refrigerated cheese tortellini to the simmering soup. Cook according to package directions, usually 3-5 minutes, until the tortellini are al dente and float to the top. Do not overcook, or they will become mushy.
5. Stir in the cream and spinach: Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream and chopped fresh spinach. Cook for just 1-2 minutes, or until the spinach wilts. Avoid boiling the soup once the cream is added to prevent it from curdling.
6. Serve and enjoy: Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Garnish each serving with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: main dish
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
Keywords: chicken, tortellini, soup, creamy, comfort food, weeknight, easy, hearty, spinach, parmesan
What You’ll Love About This Quick And Easy Recipe
This creamy chicken tortellini soup is a true weeknight hero, designed for busy families and anyone who appreciates a delicious meal without a lot of fuss. It’s incredibly comforting, making it ideal for a chilly evening or simply when you need a bowl of warmth and flavor. The combination of savory chicken and tender, cheese-filled tortellini in a rich, creamy broth is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, even for picky eaters. You can serve it as a complete meal, making dinner planning incredibly straightforward. This recipe is perfect for those times when you want to feel like you’ve cooked something special, but you only have a short window of time. It’s also fantastic for meal prepping, as it reheats beautifully, offering a delicious lunch or dinner option for days to come.
Everything You Need To Make This Recipe Without Stress
Gathering your ingredients for this creamy chicken tortellini soup is simple, and many items are likely already in your pantry or refrigerator. We focus on readily available ingredients to ensure a stress-free cooking experience.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (19 ounce) package refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
For simple substitutions, you can easily swap boneless, skinless chicken thighs for the breasts if you prefer. If you don’t have fresh spinach, a bag of frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed dry) works just as well, though you might want to reduce the quantity slightly. For the tortellini, any cheese-filled variety will work beautifully, whether it’s ricotta, a blend of cheeses, or even a spinach and cheese option. Feel free to use low-sodium chicken broth if you’re watching your sodium intake, and adjust the added salt accordingly.
Time Needed From Start To Finish
This recipe is designed for maximum flavor with minimal time commitment, making it perfect for even the busiest evenings.
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 35 minutes
How To Make It Step By Step With Visual Cues
Creating this delicious creamy chicken tortellini soup is straightforward. Follow these steps for a perfect bowl every time:
- Sauté the aromatics: Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the cubed chicken and cook until lightly browned on all sides, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Add the chopped onion, diced carrots, and diced celery to the same pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 5-7 minutes. The onion should become translucent.
- Add the garlic and seasoning: Stir in the minced garlic and dried Italian seasoning. Cook for another minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Build the broth base: Pour in the chicken broth and the can of undrained diced tomatoes. Return the cooked chicken to the pot. Stir in the salt and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the chicken to cook through.
- Cook the tortellini: Increase the heat back to medium-high and add the refrigerated cheese tortellini to the simmering soup. Cook according to package directions, usually 3-5 minutes, until the tortellini are al dente and float to the top. Do not overcook, or they will become mushy.
- Stir in the cream and spinach: Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream and chopped fresh spinach. Cook for just 1-2 minutes, or until the spinach wilts. Avoid boiling the soup once the cream is added to prevent it from curdling.
- Serve and enjoy: Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Garnish each serving with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.
Easy Variations And Serving Ideas That Fit Real Life
This creamy chicken tortellini soup is wonderfully versatile and can be adapted to suit various tastes and occasions. For a little extra kick, a pinch of red pepper flakes can be added with the Italian seasoning. If you want to boost the vegetable content, consider adding diced zucchini or bell peppers along with the carrots and celery. For a heartier soup, you could include a can of drained cannellini beans or chickpeas during the last 10 minutes of simmering.
When serving, this soup is a complete meal on its own, but it pairs beautifully with a side of crusty bread or warm garlic bread for dipping. A simple green salad with a light vinaigrette also makes a lovely accompaniment, adding a fresh contrast to the rich soup. For kid-friendly appeal, you can offer extra grated Parmesan cheese at the table, and perhaps some small crackers or croutons for them to sprinkle on top. This soup is also fantastic for a casual buffet or potluck; simply keep it warm in a slow cooker on the “warm” setting.
Common Slip-Ups And How To Avoid Them
Even simple recipes can have common pitfalls. Here’s how to ensure your creamy chicken tortellini soup turns out perfectly every time:
- Overcooking the chicken: If the chicken is cooked too long initially, it can become dry and tough. Brown it just enough to develop some color, then let it finish cooking in the broth.
- Mushy tortellini: Refrigerated tortellini cooks very quickly. Pay close attention to the package instructions and cook it only until al dente. Overcooked tortellini will fall apart and become unappetizingly soft.
- Curdled cream: Adding heavy cream to a rapidly boiling soup can sometimes cause it to curdle. Always reduce the heat to low before stirring in the cream and avoid bringing the soup back to a rolling boil afterward. A gentle simmer is fine.
- Lack of flavor depth: Don’t skip the step of sautéing the vegetables until softened and fragrant. This builds the foundational flavors of the soup. Also, allowing the soup to simmer for 10 minutes after adding the broth and chicken helps all the flavors meld together beautifully.
- Too thick or too thin: If your soup is too thick for your liking, you can thin it with a little extra chicken broth or even water. If it’s too thin, you can let it simmer uncovered for a few extra minutes (before adding the cream) to reduce slightly, or stir in a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water) and simmer until thickened.
How To Store It And Make It Ahead Without Ruining Texture
This creamy chicken tortellini soup is fantastic for leftovers and can be prepared in advance with a few considerations to maintain its best texture.
Storage: Allow the soup to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Reheating: To reheat, gently warm the soup on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. You may need to add a splash of extra chicken broth or water if it has thickened too much in the refrigerator. Avoid boiling it rapidly, especially if it contains cream, to prevent separation. Individual portions can also be reheated in the microwave.
Make-Ahead Tips: If you plan to make this soup several days in advance, consider cooking the tortellini separately and adding it to individual servings just before reheating. Tortellini can absorb a lot of liquid and become very soft or mushy if left to sit in the soup for too long. Alternatively, you can prepare the soup base (chicken, vegetables, broth, tomatoes, seasonings) and store it in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to serve, bring the base to a simmer, add the fresh tortellini and spinach, then stir in the cream. This method ensures the tortellini and spinach are perfectly cooked and fresh. Freezing is generally not recommended for creamy soups with pasta, as the cream can separate and the tortellini can become very soft upon thawing and reheating.
Questions People Always Ask Before Making This Recipe
Can I use pre-cooked chicken for this soup? Absolutely! If you have leftover cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken works great), you can shred or cube it and add it to the soup along with the broth and tomatoes, skipping the initial b
FAQs
- Can I make these ahead? Yes—prep ahead, refrigerate, then serve when ready.
- How long do leftovers last? Store covered in the fridge for 3–4 days for best texture.
- Can I adjust sweetness? Yes—add more or less sweetener to taste.
- Can I change the fruit? Yes—swap strawberries for blueberries, raspberries, or sliced banana.
