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Nothing screams cozy like a giant bowl of Italian Chicken Tortellini Soup! Loaded with tender cheese tortellini, shredded chicken, fresh baby spinach, carrots, and celery… all in a super flavorful chicken broth! Serve this family favorite with extra parmesan cheese and crusty bread.
Tortellini Chicken Soup
If there’s one thing you might know about me by now, it’s probably that I’m OBSESSED with soup! I’ll eat it anytime, anywhere, and in any season! But obviously I love soup best during the Fall and Winter. So I couldn’t be happier that soup season is finally in full swing!!!
Let’s celebrate with a big bowl of homemade chicken tortellini soup!
This is an Italian version of my beloved flu fighter chicken noodle soup and it’s AMAZING! It’s the definition of simple, healthy, and hearty comfort food. Loaded with roasted chicken, cheese tortellini, crunchy carrots, celery, and onion – every single bite is exploding with flavor! My husband can eat half a pot in one sitting! It’s that good!
How to Make Italian Tortellini Soup…
It’s so easy! And you can make 99% of this soup ahead of time and freeze it for up to 2 months or keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days!
- First thing you need to do is roast your chicken! You’ll slather it in oil and spices and bake for 25 minutes. Be sure not to over bake or the chicken will be dry!!!
- Next you’ll bust out the soup pot and sauté the onions, celery, and carrots until they’ve softened! Then toss in the garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
- Toss in the tortellini and cook for about 2 minutes. I know that’s a short cooking time but they really don’t need long! Then stir in the chicken, lemon, cheese, spinach, and herbs!
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed! I always toss in a little extra salt and pepper and sometimes even a dash of Italian seasoning!
Can I make this in a Slow Cooker?
This recipe can’t be made in a slow cooker or crockpot, but it can be kept warm in one. So if you’re having a party and want to serve soup, simply transfer the cooked soup to your slow cooker and add the tortellini about 6 minutes before your guests are going to dig in!
Can I use a Rotisserie Chicken?
Yes! This is definitely a great option if you’re tight on time! That said, the chicken most likely won’t be as flavorful or tender as my cooked chicken recipe. So you might want to add some extra spices into the soup pot!
Don’t Overcook the Tortellini!
I can’t urge this enough! The tortellini is cooked in about 2 to 3 minutes, so you want to add it at the very end! Otherwise it’ll become too soft and mushy.
If you’re planning on eating this soup over the course of a few days, feel free to cook the tortellini separately. Simply put a large pot of water over high heat, bring to a boil, and toss in the amount of tortellini you’ll want for one serving. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from heat, drain, and add directly to your soup bowl! Repeat this process whenever you’re going to enjoy a bowl of soup!
So whether you feeling a nasty cold coming on, are looking for a new favorite soup recipe, or just want to make a giant pot of cozy comfort food for dinner, this Chicken Tortellini Soup Recipe is a sure winner. I hope you guys love it as much as we do!
More Soup Recipes:
- Italian Minestrone Soup
- Blackened Chicken Ramen Noodle Soup
- Italian Meatball Soup
- Spring Chicken Soup
- Lemony Chicken and Rice Soup
- Tomato Tortellini Soup
Italian Chicken Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast tenders
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the soup:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 4 stalks celery, diced
- 2 large onions, finely diced
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- Big pinch of salt
- (2) 32 oz containers chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cups cheese tortellini
- 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- Juice of 1 lemon, plus more for serving
- 2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Place chicken tenders in a large baking dish lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with spices. Place pan in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, flipping the chicken at the halfway point. Once cooked, transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred it into small pieces using two forks.
While the chicken is roasting, prepare the soup.
- Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-heat. Add carrots, celery, and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 to 9 minutes.
- Add garlic and salt and cook for another minute. Add in the bay leaf and chicken stock.
- Increase heat to high, bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Stir in tortellini and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the tortellini is just cooked.
- Stir in the shredded chicken, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, spinach, basil and parsley.
- Taste soup and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve warm.
I WANT SUMMER BACK!
although…I’m sorta liking the idea of soup, now that you mention it. This soup looks SO hearty and delicious and perfect!
Doesn’t Summer always go by too fast? Tale as old as time 😉 But at least we can take comfort in giant bowls of soup!!!
Made this soup tonight perfect for a rainy December night. Was very easy to make followed the recipe exactly and came out DELICIOUS. Will definitely be permanently adding this to my soup recipes!
I am SO happy to hear it, Michelle! Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed this soup recipe – it’s one of my favorites!
oh my goodness! this was just amazing! I made it tonight… I did add half a small bag of chopped, fresh baby spinach when I added in the chicken though. I also made a quadruple batch of the meat seasoning and put it in a bottle in my spice rack… the chicken was amazing just out of the oven… Thank you for sharing this recipe! I am going to make a double batch up to freeze! Best homemade chicken soup to ever grace my tastebuds!
Hi Cherry! So happy you enjoyed this recipe. And I’m honored to hear it was the best you’ve ever tasted! Thank you for letting me know 🙂
Is the tortellini in this reciepe frozen?
Hi Betty Jo. I did not use frozen tortellini, buy you definitely can!
Thanks so much!!! My family made it today for dinner with some homemade rolls!!! Yummy! It was a little spicy, but we loved the kick. (My kids not so much). Thanks for the great reciepe!!
You’re very welcome! You can always cut back on the heat next time by reducing the cayenne and chili powder 😉
Can you use dried parsley instead of fresh?
I made this tonight and it was very good! A keeper! The only thing I did different was boil the chicken because I was also making chicken salad. I just added all the spices directly to broth. We like a kick to our food…it was just right! Thanks for sharing
My 10 year old made her own cookbook to keep all of her favorite recipes she cooks. This was the first one to go in. She loves it and it is easy enough for my little chef to make.
To make this super quick….buy the refrigerated tortellini, make a frozen carrot, broccoli, etc in the microwave add to the broth. Then add your seasonings and a rotisserie chicken that you cleaned up! Might not be super healthy…but it is super FAST!!
Can you use an already cooked rotisserie chicken? If so, do you add spices to broth?
Hi Jessica. I think you’ll definitely need to season the soup if you use precooked chicken. I would start with a small amount of spices, then add more to taste.
I have made this 4 times already. Family loves it. I made NO changes and it turned out perfect
Made this tonight and it was delicious! My picky husband loved it also right before he put a bite in his mouth he complained about the ricotta cheese in the tortellini’s . Yet he ate two helpings. Thank you !!
yum yum yummy
Just made this for dinner! Used shredded rotisserie chicken. Super delicious with the tortellini! Will definitely make again. Thank you for the recipe!