This easy chicken tortellini soup recipe is a healthier weeknight dinner option with a flavorful broth and plenty of comforting cheese tortellini!
This tortellini soup uses everyday ingredients and is really easy to make. It's perfect for a cold day or when someone in your family is feeling a little under the weather.
I used a 3-cheese tortellini for this recipe. Any cheese tortellini will work, or you could even change it up a bit and use a different flavor altogether (like a meat or chicken filled one).
Want to make this soup in your Instant Pot? Try my Instant Pot chicken tortellini soup recipe. Or try my Instant Pot chicken noodle soup!
How to make chicken tortellini soup
- Sauté the onions until softened; meanwhile, prep the celery and carrots.
- Add celery & carrots to the pot, along with the garlic, then add the broth and seasoning. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the cooked shredded chicken and tortellini, and cook the soup for another 10 minutes.
I always like to add a bit of chopped parsley at the end because it adds some freshness to this hearty soup, but you can skip this step if you don't have parsley.
Simple!
Pro tip: This soup is a great way to use up leftover chicken, or you can buy a rotisserie chicken for it like I did.
As always, if you've got other veggies (or whatever) in your fridge that you'd like to use up, feel free to add them to this soup.
Can I make this chicken tortellini soup in a slow cooker?
I haven't made this soup in my Crockpot, but you could easily do so. Instead of using the pre-cooked chicken, I would use 3-4 raw chicken breasts or 6 chicken thighs and cook it on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours (test to make sure the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily). Then, add the tortellini in with about 30 minutes to go.
Love chicken soup? You may also like my spinach tortellini soup with chicken, my lemon chicken orzo soup, this chicken and rice soup, or my Mexican chicken soup.
Will you make this healthy tortellini soup?
Talk to me in the comments below!
Easy Chicken Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 3 sticks celery finely chopped
- 3 large carrots peeled & sliced or chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 dashes Italian seasoning
- 2 cups cooked chicken (or more, to taste)
- 1 (20 ounce) package refrigerated cheese tortellini
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Chopped parsley to taste
Instructions
- Chop your onion. Add it to a large soup pot along with the olive oil. Sauté over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes (ok if onion lightly browns).
- Meanwhile, chop the celery and carrots, then add them to the pot along with the garlic. Give it a good stir and cook for a couple minutes.
- Add the chicken broth and Italian seasoning. Increase the heat to high, and once it starts to boil, reduce the heat to a rapid simmer and let it cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the chicken and tortellini to the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high and let the soup cook for another 10 minutes or so. If it starts to boil furiously, you may need to turn the heat down again.
- Season with salt & pepper as needed and garnish with the chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
Notes
- This type of soup will soak up the broth, so it's best eaten right away. The leftovers are still tasty, but you may need to add more water or chicken broth.
- See my tips within the blog post if you want to make this soup in your slow cooker. Or check out the Instant Pot version.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Ashleigh says
Do you cook the tortellini first?
Natasha says
Hi! I made the recipe exactly as described in the instructions, but you can if you want to (like if you want to add it to individual portions for leftovers so the broth doesn't soak it up, for example).
Rachel B. says
I almost never leave reviews on recipes, but this was so perfect I had to write one 🙂 This was so tasty! I used leftover soup chicken I had from making stock last month, and served with some warm crusty sourdough + butter. A perfect winter meal -- and would even be delicious without the tortellini, or with some other pasta shape/grain.
Natasha says
Thank you so much! Reviews are super helpful to us bloggers (and other readers), so I appreciate it. So glad you enjoyed the soup!
Kathi says
I’m making this for the second time tonight. The first time it was FABULOUS. Hoping it turns out the same. The first time, I cooked a whole chicken because that’s what I had on hand. This time, I’m using chicken thighs and bone-in breasts. I cook the chicken in broth first, then strain out the chicken and use the enhanced broth for the soup. I don’t get 8 cups of broth so I supplement with V-8 juice. It’s a trick I used when my kids were little to get more vitamins from veggies into their diet. I also add a can of diced tomatoes because, to me, tortellini needs tomatoes. This time, I’m going to cook the tortellini separately (in broth and tomato juice) as others have suggested, then add to the soup as needed because otherwise it really does soak up the soup.
This is a new family favorite. Smells so good, everyone wants to know when it will be ready!
Thanks, Natasha, for this delicious recipe.
Natasha says
I love that V8 trick... I need to try that!! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Kathi. I think it'll turn out great. 🙂
Dan says
Any advice on how much salt and pepper to add? I'm a novice cook. Thank you.
Natasha says
Hi Dan! I would give it a taste and then see how you like it, and slowly add more salt in if you think it's lacking some flavor. I don't list a quantity because peoples' tastes vary so much. Chicken broth has salt in it, so you may not need to add much at all. The more you cook, the easier it'll be to gauge/eyeball how much to add. I have a salt grinder (like a pepper grinder) and add a couple twists of the wrist at a time usually. You definitely want a light hand since it's easy to add more salt as needed, but too much salt is a problem. 🙂
Ally says
I've made this several times now and it always comes out great. My partner loves it and I personally think it is a million times better than canned soup or anything pre-made. I use a rotisserie chicken and the large package of Bertolli tortellini from the "heat and eat" section of the grocery store. I only cook the amount of tortellini I need immediately. They cook in like 5 minutes so I just add fresh tortellini when reheating the soup on the stove. So easy! Thanks for this recipe!
Natasha says
I'm so happy that it's hit in your home, Ally!
Sue says
Very tasty and so easy to make! I used the carcass of my rotisserie chicken to make the broth. I will make this again! Thank you!
Natasha says
You're welcome!
Charlotte Bailey says
just a tip. O have made variations of this soup for the last 5 years and I have discovered if you cook the tortellini in a second pot in some chicken broth and allow people to add it to their bowl as they like, it is easier to freeze the "soup" without the pasta in it... just cook more pasta the next time you want to use it.
Natasha says
Great tip!! Thank you, Charlotte!
Tracy says
Delish! I made a few tweaks as I wanted to use up some of my leftovers. I didn't have celery so I used a dash of celery salt. I also added some sauteed peppers, onions & bacon. I only had 4 cups of chicken stock so I added 2 cups of beef stock. I used frozen tortillini and topped it off with parmesan cheese. Thanks for sharing this fabulous, yummy recipe!
Natasha says
I'm really glad you were able to adapt this based on what you had on hand! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Loraine Donaldson says
This is the third time making this soup. It is delicious and so easy! My husband and son have that terrible bug going around and this is the best medicine for it! Thank you!
Natasha says
Yay I'm so happy to hear that! Hope they're on the mend. 🙂
Jessica Jackson says
Love love love this soup!! I have made it 4 times since I saw the recipe and it’s a huge hit!! I added baby spinach to mine as well. And I also used “tony chacheres original creole” seasoning. It really is good on everything !!
Natasha says
I'm so glad you like the soup! Yes, Tony's seasoning is soo good hehe.
Chrissy says
Hi! Would this still be good if leftovers are frozen?
Natasha says
Hi! I would say the tortellini will get quite puffy/soggy, so I wouldn't recommend it. It'll still taste fine, just the pasta won't be the same.
Grace says
Hi, if I needed to make this for 8 people how much of everything would I need? I am super new to cooking! Thanks for the help can't wait to make this tonight!
Natasha says
Hi Grace! Hmmm... that's a bit of a tricky question since this feeds around 6 (depending on how much people eat). Could you serve it with other items or maybe just serve smaller bowls? I know this isn't the most helpful answer, but unless you're straight doubling a recipe, it's tricky to guess without testing. You could always buy an additional 9 ounce package of tortellini and add it in if you feel like more is needed. And if you feel there isn't enough liquid, just add a bit more chicken broth.
Karen says
I have fresh asparagus could you chop and put it in.
Natasha says
Sure!
Rose Greer says
Wish this had nutritional values.
Natasha says
Hi Rose! I am not a trained nutritionist, so I don't feel comfortable providing nutrition info as it may not be accurate. Calories will vary depending on the ingredients you use. Plugging the exact weights/measurements of the actual ingredients you use into one of the free calculators out there should give you a good idea of the nutritional values. A lot of nutrition info on recipes online is waaaaay off (it's sometimes even worse than an estimate since it picks up wrong ingredients), so until I can find a good (accurate) way to calculate it, I'm afraid I won't be including the info. Sorry about that!
Kat says
Wondering if you used fresh or frozen tortellini? I’m hoping frozen, because that’s what I have.
Natasha says
I use the fresh/refrigerated kind. Honestly, frozen wouldn't make any difference... it would thaw very quickly so you have nothing to worry about! 🙂
Samantha says
Super easy! And every one in the family loved it!
Natasha says
Wonderful! Thanks for letting me know, Samantha!
Doreen Plummer says
Great recipie! Does anyone know what the calories are for a serving???
Barbara says
I would also like to know
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Carrie Pronto says
Its so easy to make my kids love it
Natasha says
Excellent! Thanks for letting me know.
Miracle says
I made it tonight it was Amazing!
Natasha says
Wonderful! So glad to hear it! 🙂
Sandra Schelthelm says
I've made this twice in the last month and thumbs up both times from the guests! Delish!
Natasha says
That’s awesome! Thank you ❤️
Joy says
I just made it ..perfect for winter nights..sooo delicious..Mmmmmmm mmmm Goood!!!!
Natasha says
That’s awesome!! ❤️
Vicky Cowhey says
Hi Natasha! I’m Vicky from NJ and I Love your recipes! Last week we made your delicious sesame, ginger shrimp and the chicken Marsala. I’m going to make your chicken tortellini soup tonight, looks amazing! It’s been freezing here, so it’s the perfect meal for a cold night. Thank you!
Natasha says
Hi Vicky! Wonderful - so happy you liked those recipes. Stay warm! 🙂
Robbie Brown says
Hi, am Robbie from Devon in the UK; lovin' your recipes.
(Am searching for ideas of what to do with a beautiful cooked whole chicken w. lemon/thyme.)
Can you please tell me what 'half and half' is, coz I've never heard of it before...
Scusi me if it's something ridiculously basic.. just curious!
All the best
Robbie B
Natasha says
I'm so glad you like my recipes, Robbie! Not a silly question at all - half and half is a mix of half cream and half milk. It's a Canadian/American thing. My blogger friend in the UK suggests using single cream instead. 🙂 Hope this helps!