Name: Chicken Tortellini Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 yellow onion, diced; 2 carrots, diced; 3 ribs celery, diced; 6 cloves garlic, minced; juice of a lemon; 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste; 6 cups chicken broth; 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast; 2 dried bay leaves; 1 tablespoon fresh thyme; 1 – 9oz package refrigerated cheese tortellini (I used this kind); 1 1/2 cups half and half; 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch; 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped; shaved parmesan, for serving; chopped parsley, for serving

This Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup is the perfect quick and hearty weeknight dinner recipe. It comes together in around 30 minutes and will quickly become a favorite!

Why You’ll Love This Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup

It’s creamy but still light! – one thing I love about this soup (and I think you will too!) is that it’s somehow creamy without being too heavy. The tortellini is still tender and light and the broth is flavorful without making things feel weighed down.
It’s easy! – seriously this recipe comes together without much fuss which makes it a win every time. The hardest part is chopping the veggies.
You can customize it! – there are several different ways you can customize this soup and make it your own. Whether you need to make the soup gluten free, vegetarian, or dairy free there are so many different options.

More Chicken Recipes

Soup Ingredients

Onion, Carrots, Celery, Garlic: the veggie base of this soup is the classic onion, carrot, celery, and garlic combo.

Chicken Breast: you’ll need a little over a pound of chicken breast for this recipe. It’s quick cooking and perfect for this soup.

Herbs: fresh thyme and dried bay leaves help to give this soup some delicious flavor. Plus you’ll use some fresh parsley for garnish on top.

Chicken Broth: go with low-sodium chicken broth to manage the amount of salt in the soup.

Cheese Tortellini: these little pasta are a tender and delicious addition to the soup. For this recipe we’re using cheese tortellini.

Half and Half: a bit of half and half helps make this soup a bit more creamy instead of just broth.

Arrowroot Starch: to really give the soup some creaminess this recipe uses arrowroot starch to thicken things up a bit.

Fresh Baby Spinach: a few generous handfuls of baby spinach are stirred into the soup at the end.

Fresh Lemon Juice: last, but certainly not least, a bit of fresh lemon juice helps to really brighten up the soup.

Helpful Recipe Substitutions

Half and Half – you can swap the half and half in this soup for full fat coconut milk if you need to keep it dairy free. You could also use whole milk instead or, if you want a really rich soup, you can use heavy cream.
Tortellini – use your favorite gluten free tortellini to keep this recipe gluten free.
Chicken Broth – you can easily use veggie broth instead of chicken if needed.
Veggies – swap the baby spinach for chopped tuscan kale if you prefer.
Arrowroot – if you don’t have arrowroot starch, feel free to use cornstarch instead to thicken the soup.

How to Make This Chicken Tortellini Soup Recipe

Step One: Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil, diced onion, diced carrot, diced celery, and minced garlic. Sauté the veggies for 4-5 minutes until the onion becomes translucent and everything is fragrant. Deglaze the pan with lemon juice and then season with 1 teaspoon of salt and a bit of black pepper.

Step Two: Next, add the chicken broth, boneless skinless chicken breast, bay leaves, and fresh thyme. Bring the soup to a boil and then cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the soup simmer for 10-15 minutes until the chicken is completely cooked through and no longer pink. Remove the chicken from the soup and shred the meat with two forks.

Step Three: Bring the soup back to a low simmer and then add the tortellini. Cover and let the tortellini cook in the simmering soup for 5-10 minutes or according to package directions.

Step Four: While the tortellini are simmering, whisk together the half and half and arrowroot starch.

Step Five: Reduce the heat to low and add the shredded chicken and spinach to the soup. Then pour in the arrowroot and half and half slurry, stirring while you pour it in. The soup should thicken as it continues to heat.

Step Six: Serve the soup with shaved parmesan and chopped parsley.

Slow Cooker Instructions

This soup recipe can easily come together in the slow cooker. Here’s how to do it:

Sauté the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery on the stovetop in a little olive oil. Deglaze the pan with lemon juice.
Add the sautéed veggies, chicken breast, bay leaves, thyme, and chicken broth to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.
During the last hour of cooking, remove the chicken breast from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. Add the chicken back to the slow cooker along with the tortellini, and the mixture of arrowroot and half and half. Stir until well combined.
Let the soup continue to cook for thirty minutes to an hour until it has thickened and the tortellini is tender.
Lastly, stir in the baby spinach. Give the soup a taste, adjust the seasoning, if needed, and then serve!

Can I Use Leftover Shredded Chicken or Turkey?

Yes! This recipe is a perfect way to use up leftover roasted chicken or turkey.

After the soup has simmered for around ten to fifteen minutes, stir in your leftover shredded chicken or turkey. Let the soup simmer for another five minutes or so and then add in your tortellini and continue to follow the recipe as directed.

A Vegetarian Version

This is an easy soup to make vegetarian if needed. You can simply leave out the chicken, use veggie broth, and a plant-based milk instead of half and half. If you like, you can make the soup a bit heartier by adding in some diced mushrooms along with the celery, carrot, and onion.

Tips and Tricks for the Best Soup

Use freshly minced garlic if you can, it really does make a huge difference in the overall flavor of the soup.
Leave out the half and half and arrowroot starch for a less creamy and more broth based soup. You can sub the half and half for extra broth.
Add more tortellini if you prefer! If you want your soup a bit heavier on the pasta then feel free to add another package of tortellini.
Be sure to grab tortellini and not the larger tortelloni for this soup recipe.

Storing and Reheating Instructions

Fridge: to keep the soup fresh, store in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can easily reheat this soup on the stovetop or in the microwave. Feel free to add in a little extra broth if the soup is thicker than you like when reheating.

Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing this soup. The tortellini and half/half make this soup better eaten fresh.

Chicken Tortellini Soup

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Author: Ashlea Carver
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 6 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free

Print Recipe

Author: Ashlea Carver
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 6 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
juice of a lemon
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
6 cups chicken broth
1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 dried bay leaves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 – 9oz package refrigerated cheese tortellini (I used this kind)
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 tablespoon arrowroot starch
2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
shaved parmesan, for serving
chopped parsley, for serving

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Method

Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil, diced onion, diced carrot, diced celery, and minced garlic. Sauté the veggies for 4-5 minutes until the onion becomes translucent and everything is fragrant. Deglaze the pan with lemon juice and then season with 1 teaspoon of salt and a bit of black pepper.
Next, add the chicken broth, boneless skinless chicken breast, bay leaves, and fresh thyme. Bring the soup to a boil and then cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the soup simmer for 10-15 minutes until the chicken is completely cooked through and no longer pink. Remove the chicken from the soup and shred the meat with two forks.
Bring the soup back to a low simmer and then add the tortellini. Cover and let the tortellini cook in the simmering soup for 5-10 minutes or according to package directions.
While the tortellini are simmering, whisk together the half and half and arrowroot starch.
Reduce the heat to low and add the shredded chicken and spinach to the soup. Then pour in the arrowroot and half and half slurry, stirring while you pour it in. The soup should thicken as it continues to heat.
Serve the soup with shaved parmesan and chopped parsley.