Chicken Tortellini Soup
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Chicken Tortellini Soup 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. Make it on the stove, in the slow cooker, or in the Instant Pot!
You’ll love the versatility of this soup. Get this: it can be made in on the stovetop, in the slow cooker, or in the Instant Pot! We have instructions for all of these!
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 3 basic steps:
Step 1: Sauté the veggies
Pre-cooking veggies adds depth of flavor and ensures that they are fully cooked. No one wants to bite into an undercooked veggie in their soup.
Step 2: Cook the soup (including the chicken) and shred the chicken.
After veggies are sautéed, you’ll add the rest of the ingredients (minus the tortellini) and cook it. Once the chicken is fully cooked, you’ll remove it 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!
How to Make Chicken Tortellini Soup in the Slow Cooker
To make this in the slow cooker, the steps will be a tad different.
Step 1: Pre-cook the veggies.
In a large skillet, sauté the veggies is directed in the recipe below. Transfer the vegetables to the slower cooker and add the chicken, broth and seasonings.
Step 2: Cook in the slow cooker and shred the chicken.
Cover and cook on Low for 3 to 4 hours. (The chicken is done when it is no longer pink inside and/or registers 165°F internally.) Here is how long to cook chicken in the slow cooker, fyi.
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks or dice. Set aside.
Step 3: Cook the tortellini in the slow cooker at the end.
Set the slow cooker to High. Add the tortellini to the cooker, stir, and cook for 15 minutes more, or until the tortellini are cooked all the way through.
Stir the chicken into the soup. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley and topped with freshly grated Parmesan, if desired.
How to Make Chicken Tortellini Soup in the Instant Pot
We actually have an entire post on how to make Instant Pot Chicken Tortellini Soup. If you are interested in that, hop over and grab the recipe!
How to Make It a Freezer Meal
We love to equip our readers with ways to maximize their time in the kitchen. This is why we are such a huge fan of freezer meals and our 1 Hour Freezer Prep Sessions. When we develop recipes, we use our 20+ years of combined freezer cooking wisdom to make sure you freeze and thaw your freezer meals correctly.
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.
Serving Suggestions
Top with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley (for some color) and serve with crusty bread and butter on the side.
Because the pasta soaks up the liquid overnight and expands, you may need to add more broth or water to leftovers.
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Chicken Tortellini Soup
A delightful twist on chicken noodle soup that will bring some serious comfort food to your table without much fuss.
Ingredients
- 1–2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
- 3 or 4 medium carrots or 1/2 lb baby carrots, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 3 or 4 celery stalks, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 teaspoon pre-minced garlic)
- 6 cups (48 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth, homemade or store-bought
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, crushed in hand
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3–4 cups frozen cheese tortellini (GF: Use gluten-free pasta. DF: Use egg noodles or your favorite pasta instead. Cook in the soup according to package directions.)
- Fresh parsley, finely chopped, for garnish
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish (DF: Omit this item.)
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Instructions
Make It Now:
(Find the Slow Cooker instructions in the Notes below.)
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 and reduce to a simmer. 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. Add more water or broth, if the soup is too thick. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
6. Serve immediately, garnished with chopped parsley and topped with freshly grated Parmesan, if desired.
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 and follow Steps 3-6.
Notes/Tips
For the Slow Cooker: Follow Step 1. Add the veggies, broth, water, Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and the chicken to a crock pot. Cook on Low for 3 hours or until the chicken is done (no longer pink inside or registers 165 F internally). Using tongs, remove the chicken to a wooden cutting board. Turn the crockpot to High setting, stir in tortellini, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes or until done. Follow Steps 5-6.
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.
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