Easy Chicken Tortellini Soup
Tuscan-style Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup is one of the easiest and most flavorful soups you’ll ever make. Packed with roasted chicken, fire-roasted tomatoes, garlic, kale and cheese tortellini…..this velvety soup recipe will be on repeat all year long.
Chicken Tortellini Soup
Soup season can be celebrated a number of ways. With a bowl full of chicken soup that’s brothy and light, or a cup of creamy broccoli soup. But this easy Chicken Tortellini Soup is one for the record books and my favorite comforting soup recipe.
And a creamy chicken soup can seem like a gut buster but this one has so many healthy ingredients it kind of balances it all out. I like to add kale to the mix and garlic because everything that has tomatoes in it should also have garlic. And this is a great way to use up leftover chicken which saves so much time when you’re trying to feed the whole family on a busy weeknight.
To keep it creamy but a little lighter, I used half and half instead of heavy cream with excellent results. And I am happy to say that this is one of the BEST recipes I have made in a VERY long time. It’s made me so excited and proud and almost giddy to share it with you.
It’s like a creamy tomato bisque and chicken soup had a baby…..and that baby was cheese tortellini soup with chicken and kale and epic flavor.
Ingredients For Chicken Tortellini Soup
Creamy Tortellini Soup is made with simple ingredients you probably already have in your house. My recipe calls for wine but you can totally skip it if you’re adverse to alcohol.
- Olive Oil – We start with olive oil but you can sub with butter, avocado oil or another neutral oil.
- Onion – I like a sweet onion, like Vidalia. A yellow onion is a great alternative.
- Garlic – The more garlic the better.
- Italian Seasoning – I like to season with Italian seasoning because it has intense herb flavor. We also add salt and black pepper, to taste. For a little heat, add in some red pepper flakes.
- Tomato Paste – This is the building block to epic flavor.
- White Wine (optional) – You can skip the wine or substitute with apple juice.
- Canned Diced Tomatoes – If you can find fire-roasted tomatoes, they are amazing.
- Chicken Stock – Homemade is best but your favorite low sodium chicken broth will work, too.
- Shredded Chicken Breast – This is where leftover shredded chicken is such a time saver for busy weeknights. We like to use leftover roasted chicken breast for the most tender chicken meat.
- Refrigerated Fresh Cheese Tortellini – Another time saver, refrigerated tortellini is fantastic and takes less time to cook. Cheesy tortellini is the essence of this soup.
- Half and Half – You can substitute with heavy cream for a richer flavor.
- Parmesan Cheese – Fresh is best, don’t use the cheese in a can.
- Kale – If you don’t like kale, substitute with fresh spinach.
For the full ingredient list and instructions, see the recipe card below.
How to Make Chicken Tortellini Soup
This easy Chicken Tortellini Soup recipe is quick, easy and hearty. Better than a classic chicken noodle soup but just as simple to make.
- Cook the vegetables – Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and add the onions cooking until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.
- Add the seasoning – Stir in the Italian seasoning, tomato paste and wine. Cook until wine is reduced by half.
- Build the soup – Add the tomatoes, chicken stock and chicken to the pot bringing the soup to a boil. Reduce to low heat and stir in the cheese tortellini. Cook until tender.
- Finish the soup – Add the half and half, cheese and kale. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Serve the soup hot with extra parmesan cheese, a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley and crusty bread, if desired.
How to Store Leftovers
Transfer the leftover soup to an airtight container and transfer to the refrigerator.
You can freeze Chicken Tortellini Soup in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
What is Tortellini Soup?
This Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup recipe couldn’t be easier…..or FASTER to make! I had the whole shebang finished and on the table in about 40 minutes, that included cooking the chicken!
If you want to make this glorious soup recipe even faster you can totally use your leftover roast chicken from your Sunday dinner or just grab a rotisserie chicken up at the grocery store on the way home from work.
This Tortellini Soup is made with tomatoes and kale but you can switch out the kale for spinach if that’s more your speed. And if you don’t like chunks of tomatoes swimming around in your soup you can totally use a can of tomato sauce in it’s place for a smooth and even creamier version of tortellini soup recipe.
What to Serve with Chicken Tortellini Soup
More Easy Soup Recipes
- Italian Sausage Soup
- Creamy Chicken Soup with Artichokes and Mushrooms
- Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Sausage Tortellini Soup
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Get the Recipe: Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 14.5 ounce cans diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- 4 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
- 9 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 cups chopped kale
- salt and pepper, to taste
Equipment
- 1 stockpot
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven or stock pot over medium/high heat.
- Add the onion to the pot and cook until softened, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the Italian seasoning and tomato paste, stirring to combine. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes longer or until the tomato paste begins to turn a deep burgundy color.
- Add the wine to the pot and using a wooden spoon, scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half.
- Add the tomatoes, chicken stock and chicken to the pot stirring to combine. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
- Stir in the tortellini and cook for 7 minutes.
- Slowly stir in the half and half and cheese, then add the kale. Simmer for an additional 1-2 minutes then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately with extra parmesan cheese, if desired.
14 Comments on “Easy Chicken Tortellini Soup”
I’ve made this twice, and both times there was a bitterness to it. I’m not sure if it’s because of the large amount of parmesan cheese it calls for or the wine. I’d have to modify the recipe to try it again.
I’m not even sure what would cause it to be bitter, the cheese would not…it would make it saltier than anything else. The wine would only make it bitter if it had gone bad.
Can this be made in a crockpot?
I haven’t tested it in a crockpot, however, you could cook it all day with the exception of the cream. Just stir that in right before your ready to serve it and let it cook for an additional 10-15 minutes.
Just finished a bowl! Used baby spinach instead of kale. Pure deliciousness! Thank you
Yum! Thank you for your comment!
This soup is delicious! I added a zucchini instead of the kale and it worked well. Even with the low sodium chicken broth, no salt was needed at the end. Husband said, “Be sure to hang on to this recipe!” I definitely will!
I’m so happy you loved it!
So good!
Thank you so much!
LOVED IT — so glad I stumbled upon this — so easy and delicious. I am sure I’ll be making this again all winter long.
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This soup is AMAZING. I didn’t have wine on hand so I added a bit of lemon juice to mimic the acid, used spinach instead of kale cause it needed used up, and subbed heavy cream cause it’s what I had. Other than that I followed the recipe and figured, like most soup recipes I come across, that I would have to adjust it at the end. I’m a professional cook and it’s rare I don’t change a recipe. But it didn’t need anything. It was perfect. And sooo yummy. You should be proud. Thanks for this.
Great additions! We use kale on occasion, too! So glad you loved it!