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Instant Pot Chicken Tortellini Soup
Instant Pot 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:
- Set the Instant Pot to “Sauté.” Pour the oil into the pot and heat until shimmery. Add the carrots, celery, and onion and cook, stirring, until just softened, 5 to 7 minutes, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper while they cook. Stir in the garlic during the last 30 to 60 seconds of cooking. Press “Cancel.” (Freezing instructions begin here.)
- Stir in the broth, water, Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper, and the chicken.
- Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 6 minutes, then quick release the pressure. (The chicken is done when it is no longer pink inside and/or registers 165°F internally.)
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks or dice into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
- Set the Instant Pot to “Sauté” and bring the liquid in the pot to a boil. Stir in the tortellini and cook until soft and heated through, 3 to 4 minutes (or according to package instructions). Press “Cancel.”
- Stir the shredded chicken into the soup. Taste and season with salt and pepper. 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 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 (do not stack the chicken breasts in the bag/container; instead, place them side by side). Seal and freeze (if using a freezer bag, set it in a bowl or round container with a diameter similar to the Instant Pot so it will fit in the pot when frozen) alongside a bag of 3-4 cups frozen tortellini. Tip: Double bag the soup to help prevent leaks.
Prepare From Frozen: Set the Instant Pot to “Sauté.” Transfer the frozen soup to the pot and cook for 5 minutes to release some liquid. Press “Cancel.” Follow step 3, but cook for 17 to 22 minutes. Follow steps 4 through 6.
Notes/Tips
- Shortcut: Use 2 cups diced or shredded rotisserie chicken in place of the chicken breasts and skip Step 4.
- 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.
- 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.
- Crockpot Version: Try our Slow Cooker Chicken Tortellini Soup.
- Stove Top Version: Make this Chicken Tortellini Soup recipe
