Chicken Tortellini Soup

This Chicken Tortellini Soup is easy to make on the Stove Top or in the Crock Pot. It has the best combination of Italian seasonings, juicy chicken with vegetables, and easy add-ons like spinach or cream!

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Total Time50

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Servings: cups

Calories: 199kcal

Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

Seasonings

1 teaspoon EACH: dried basil, dried parsley
½ teaspoon EACH: dried oregano, mustard powder
¼ teaspoon EACH: ground sage, pepper

Soup

1 1/4 lb. bone-in chicken breast see notes
Salt/Pepper to taste
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion diced
¾ cup diced carrots
2 ribs celery diced
3 cloves garlic minced
6 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
10 oz. refrigerated tortellini about 2 cups

Instructions

Stove Top Method (See Notes for Crock Pot Method)

Sear the Chicken

Note: Searing the chicken is optional, raw or cooked chicken can be added right to the broth in later steps. Searing first adds fond to the soup pot which makes the broth more flavorful. It also adds color and texture to some of the chicken.
Season each side of the chicken with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Heat olive oil in a 4 ½-quart soup pot over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until a little bit of a brown color has developed. Remove and set aside. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes, then use 2 forks to shred. If the middle isn’t cooked, it will finish cooking in later steps.

Make the Soup

Combine the seasonings and set aside.
Melt the butter in the same pot and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pot. Add the diced onions, carrots, and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and seasonings. Cook for 1 more minute.
Add the chicken broth and shredded chicken. Bring to a very gentle boil, (cooking the liquid rapidly will make the chicken tough). Simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Add the refrigerated tortellini and simmer until cooked through. (Refer to package for guidance on timing.) Rana refrigerated tortellini take just 3 minutes. Taste and add any seasonings if desired, including up to ½ teaspoon of salt. Serve!

Notes

Pro Tips:

Chicken: The chicken can be skin-on or skinless. Bone-in chicken adds a lot more flavor to the broth, but boneless can be used if needed. You can also use 2 cups of leftover or rotisserie chicken, add it to the soup when the freshly shredded chicken is added.
Seasonings and Flavor Enhancers: You can’t taste the hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or mustard powder in this recipe. They are used as flavor enhancers in the soup. The hot sauce doesn't make the soup hot/spicy.
I use RANA refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini for this recipe. I also use Frank's Hot Sauce for this recipe, but any variety is fine!

Optional Add-Ons:

For even more flavor, add the rind from a block of Parmesan or Romano cheese when you add the broth and let it simmer and flavor the soup. If any remains at the end of cooking, it can be discarded. Salt will likely not need to be added if you do this.
Up to 1 cup of heavy cream can be stirred in at the end over low heat if desired.
2-3 cups of Spinach can be added at the end if desired. Add it once the tortellini is cooked and let it wilt, about 30 seconds. If you use frozen spinach, let it thaw and pat it dry prior to adding it.
Frozen peas, corn, or green beans can be stirred in 10 minutes prior to serving if desired.
To make this with sausage, check out my recipe for sausage tortellini soup.
Top this soup with Ranch Oyster Crackers for even more flavor!

Crock Pot Method

Note: You can skip the searing step for the Crock Pot Method. I also recommend using fresh (not leftover) chicken as leftover chicken is prone to becoming dry if cooked for several hours in the Crock Pot.

Melt the butter in the Crock Pot. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic and toss to coat.
Add the seasonings, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, uncooked chicken, and chicken broth.
Cook on low for 6 hours. (I recommend low heat to keep the chicken juicy and tender. Cooking it over higher heat makes it tougher. If necessary, it can be cooked for 4 hours on high.)
Remove the chicken and use 2 forks to shred. Add it back to the soup along with the tortellini.
Add the tortellini and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until expanded and cooked through. Serve!

Storage:

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Note that the tortellini will continue to absorb some of the broth during storage. I like to remove the tortellini from the soup and store it separately. You can also boil it on the side and add it directly to serving bowls.
You can also freeze this soup for up to 3 months. Consider boiling the tortellini separately so that it doesn’t absorb too much broth or get overly soft.

Nutrition