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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.
Find it online: https://thrivinghomeblog.com/chicken-tortellini-soup/
