Chicken Tortellini Soup
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This easy Chicken Tortellini Soup on the stovetop is a delightful twist on chicken noodle soup that will bring some serious comfort food to your table without much fuss. It’s kid-friendly, freezer-friendly, and delicious.
Or try our Instant Pot Tortellini Soup or Slow Cooker Chicken Tortellini Soup.
What’s to Love About This Soup
- Similar to our super creamy Crockpot Tortellini Soup with Sausage, it is easy to make on a weeknight.
- It’s pretty darn healthy — lots of veggies and lean protein, but my kids think the cheese tortellini is a treat.
- Double the batch for leftovers or to make it into a freezer meal.
Ingredients Needed
Here’s what you’ll need on hand to throw this together:
- Pantry Items: Avocado oil or olive oil, salt, ground black pepper, low-sodium chicken broth, Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning
- Produce: Carrots, celery, onion, garlic
- Protein: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Frozen: Frozen or fresh cheese tortellini – Tip: Check the package to find one with the most recognizable and least amount of ingredients.
- Optional Toppings: Fresh chopped parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese
How to Make Chicken Tortellini Soup
Whether you make this soup on the stove, in the slow cooker, or in the Instant Pot, you’ll follow these three basic steps:
Step 1: Sauté the veggies
Pre-cooking veggies adds depth of flavor and ensures that they are fully cooked.
Step 2: Cook the soup (including the chicken) and shred the chicken.
Cook the soup until the chicken is fully cooked. Then remove the chicken and shred it.
Step 3: Cook the tortellini in the soup at the end.
Tortellini cooks so fast so you will simply add it at the end! Then serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and some fresh parsley for a pop of color.
Can You Freeze Chicken Tortellini Soup?
Yes, chicken tortellini soup can be frozen with some caveats. Here are the best methods for freezing tortellini soup…
Method 1: Freeze Before Cooking (Preferred)
If you want your soup to taste like a fresh meal on the other end, this is the best method for freezing. It ensures that your chicken doesn’t get tough and that your pasta doesn’t get mushy.
Freeze For Later: Follow step 1. Let the veggies cool, then transfer them to a gallon-size freezer bag or round container. Add the chicken, broth, water, Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Seal and freeze alongside a bag of 3-4 cups frozen tortellini. Tip: Double bag the soup to help prevent leaks and freeze flat.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw the soup (but not the frozen tortellini). Add to a large pot (or the slow cooker) and follow Steps 3-6.
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Method 2: Freeze After Cooking
Freeze For Later: Completely cool the cooked soup and freeze in an air-tight, freezer-safe container or freezer bag. The caveat to this method is that the pasta will get a bit mushy in the freezer, but my kids still enjoy it this way. So, I often freeze leftovers in SouperCubes or 2-Cup Pyrex bowls for lunches.
Prepare From Frozen: Let thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours and then rewarm in the microwave or over medium heat on the stovetop.
Note: Because the pasta soaks up the liquid overnight and expands, you may need to add more broth or water to any leftovers.
Tips and Variations
- Dairy-Free Version: Replace the tortellini with whole wheat egg noodles (store-bought is fine) and boil until al dente.
- Gluten-Free Version: There are gluten-free cheese tortellini in some grocery stores. Or, replace the tortellini with a gluten-free pasta instead. My favorite is Banza rotini pasta for this soup. I’ve tested it many times and it holds up well in the soup.
- Because the pasta soaks up the liquid overnight and expands, this soup is best eaten the day you make it, but you can always add more broth or water to leftovers.
FAQs
Yes, you can easily make this recipe in the Instant Pot or crock pot with our recipes below:
– Instant Pot Tortellini Soup
– Slow Cooker Chicken Tortellini Soup
Yes, you can make chicken tortellini soup ahead of time. Prepare the soup as directed but wait to add the tortellini until just before serving to prevent it from becoming too soft or mushy. Store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days, or freeze it for longer storage.
To enhance the flavor of chicken tortellini soup, you can add ingredients such as garlic, fresh herbs (like parsley or basil), grated Parmesan cheese, or a splash of white wine. Adjusting the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste can also elevate the flavor.
More Chicken Soups You’ll Love
If you like the simplicity of this soup, be sure to save or Pin a few of our other favorites.
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup – Just dump and go! Or try stovetop Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup.
- Chicken Taco Soup
- Crockpot White Chicken Chili – Or try our Instant Pot White Chicken Chili.
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup – Featured in People magazine!
- Chicken and Wild Rice Soup – So comforting and flavorful.
Want more? See our collection of 15+ Healthy & Delicious Soup Recipes.
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Chicken Tortellini Soup
Chicken Tortellini Soup is a delightful twist on traditional chicken noodle soup that will bring some serious comfort food to your table without much fuss. It’s kid-friendly, freezer-friendly, easy, and delicious.
Ingredients
- 1–2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 – 1 1/2 cups diced carrots
- 1 – 1 1/2 cups sliced celery
- 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 teaspoon pre-minced garlic)
- 6 cups (48 ounces) chicken broth, homemade or store-bought
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, crushed in hand
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 – 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs
- 3–4 cups frozen cheese tortellini
- Optional for serving: Lemon wedges, fresh chopped parsley, grated Parmesan
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Instructions
Make It Now:
1. In a large stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmery. Add the carrots, celery, and onion and cook until they begin to soften, 4 to 5 minutes, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper while they cook. Stir in the garlic during the last 30 to 60 seconds of cooking. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
2. Stir in the broth, water, Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and the chicken.
3. Bring soup to a boil, reduce to a low simmer, and crack the lid. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or just until the chicken is done (no longer pink inside or registers 165°F internally). Using tongs, remove the chicken to a wooden cutting board.
4. Bring the soup to a boil again and stir in the tortellini. Cook the tortellini according to package directions, probably 3-5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, shred the chicken with two forks or dice it and stir back into the soup. Taste and season with salt and pepper, to your preference.
6. Serve immediately, garnished with optional lemon wedges (give a good squeeze to your bowl), chopped parsley, and freshly grated Parmesan, if desired. (Note: This soup will thicken up as it sits and cools.)
Freeze For Later: Follow step 1. Let the veggie mixture cool, then transfer to a gallon-size freezer bag or round container. Add the chicken, broth, water, Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Seal and freeze alongside a bag of 3-4 cups frozen tortellini. Tip: Double bag the soup to help prevent leaks and freeze flat.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw the soup (but not the frozen tortellini). Add to a large pot and follow Steps 3-6.
Notes/Tips
- Shortcut: Use 2 cups diced or shredded rotisserie chicken in place of the chicken breasts and skip Step 5.
- You can also fully cook and freeze this soup after it fully cools, but the pasta will lose some of it’s texture in the freezer. It’s still tasty though.
- Crockpot Version: Try our Slow Cooker Chicken Tortellini Soup.
- Instant Pot Version: Make our Instant Pot Chicken Tortellini Soup.
- Because the pasta soaks up the liquid overnight and expands, this soup is best eaten the day you make it, but you can always add more broth or water to leftovers.
- Leftover tortellini? Use it in our Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup or Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup (made in crock pot).
- Dairy-Free Version: Replace the tortellini with whole wheat egg noodles (store-bought is fine) and boil until al dente.
- Gluten-Free Version: There are gluten-free cheese tortellini in some grocery stores. Or, replace the tortellini with a gluten-free pasta instead. My favorite is Banza rotini pasta for this soup. I’ve tested it many times and it holds up well in the soup.
Photos and video by Whitney Reist of Sweet Cayenne.
Loved this! Baked a turkey breast and substituted Turkey for chicken. Then made the turkey pesto paninis to go with!
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review Kelly! Glad you found the recipe delicious with turkey and served it with the paninis. Sounds like a great combo!
Tried this tonight and had such high hopes, but it didn’t have much flavor and the majority of taste was from the Italian seasoning. So disappointed!
Thanks for the feedback. Since Italian seasoning can be different blends of spices depending on the brand, yours may have been a strong flavor than ours. I’ve never noticed that before. Feel free to tweak the seasoning to your taste.
this is a great recipe and I appreciate how simple it is to create this delicious dish!
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review Lynn!
This recipe is absolutely delicious and the tortellini are a fun addition! They’re very kid friendly as opposed to the longer noodles I usually use. Great idea!
My kids love the tortellini as well. So glad your family enjoys this recipe.
A fun, delicious twist on classic chicken noodle soup. Thanks!