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Chicken Tortellini Soup

Chicken tortellini soup with golden herb broth, tender cheese tortellini, and shredded chicken for a hearty Italian-American main. The method is simple: sauté aromatics, boil the broth, then simmer just until the tortellini turns tender and the spinach wilts.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken breast, cooked and shredded
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast
Cheese tortellini
  • 20 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini
Baby spinach
  • 3 cups baby spinach
Carrots
  • 3 carrots
Onion
  • 1 onion
Garlic
  • 4 garlic
Chicken broth
  • 6 cups chicken broth
Olive oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried basil
Serving parmesan and fresh basil
  • 1 Parmesan for serving
  • 1 fresh basil for serving
Salt and pepper
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.25 tsp pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté the aromatics
  1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and carrot slices and sauté for 5 minutes until slightly softened.
  2. Add the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and dried basil. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Simmer the soup
  1. Pour in 6 cups chicken broth and bring the pot to a boil. Maintain a steady boil for a moment to fully heat the broth.
  2. Add the refrigerated cheese tortellini. Cook for 4-5 minutes until just tender, then reduce heat slightly if needed to keep a gentle simmer.
Finish with chicken and spinach
  1. Stir in the shredded chicken and cook for 2 minutes until warmed through. Keep the soup at a gentle simmer so the tortellini stays intact.
  2. Add the baby spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes until it wilts. Stir until the greens are bright and fully incorporated.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with generous Parmesan shavings and fresh basil on top.

Notes

For best texture, keep the soup at a gentle simmer after adding the tortellini so it doesn’t get overly soft. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days; reheat on the stove over medium-low until hot. Freezing isn’t recommended because tortellini texture can change after thawing. Dietary swap: use gluten-free tortellini to make the soup gluten-free while keeping the rest of the recipe the same.