Chicken Tortellini Soup

Why You’ll Love This Chicken Tortellini Soup

• Easy. If you can cook chicken and put things in a soup pot, you can make this soup!
• Hearty. This simple soup is filling and satisfying.
• Flavorful & Creamy. Every spoonful of this tortellini soup is full of flavor. Cream cheese is added at the end to make the broth super smooth and creamy.
• Flexible. Add more veggies, use different kinds of tortellini, or vary the way the chicken is cooked. I’ve shared lots of tips in the rest of this post. 🙂

Watch How to Make It

What If I Don’t Have an Instant Pot?

I like to use my Instant Pot to prep chicken before it is added to soups and casseroles. It is quick, easy and the pressure cooker always makes the most incredibly tender chicken. However, I realize not everyone has an Instant Pot. In fact, one of the most frequently asked questions on this site is: What if I don’t have an Instant Pot to cook the chicken?

Friends, I heard you! And to help solve this problem I put together a handy dandy guide about how to make shredded chicken in the Instant Pot, oven or slower cooker. Now you can choose your own adventure. 🙌 You can even use store-bought rotisserie chicken if you like.

Tips for Success

• Add the cream cheese at the end. This is probably the most important thing about this recipe. You have to stir in the cream cheese at the end, once the heat has been turned off. If you add it while the soup is still cooking the cream cheese will curdle and separate instead of creating a creamy base.
• Can I add the chicken to the soup pot? I’m anticipating this question because often with chicken soup the meat is cooked directly into the pot. For this recipe as written, the soup does not cook long enough to properly cook the chicken. I also recommend cooking the chicken separately so that we can add flavoring to the meat itself.

Variation Ideas

• What kind of tortellini to use? I prefer using spinach tortellini, but cheese tortellini will do just fine!
• About the spinach. You can use full-grown spinach leaves or you can use baby spinach. Either one works as long as you are using fresh (not frozen) spinach.
• Can I use chicken breast? Yes, you can use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs.
• Vegetable broth? You can use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock/broth.
• Add more veggies. I sometimes like to add zucchini or summer squash to this recipe. You can just slice the squash into half moons and add it along with the carrots.
• Add sausage. Want to add some sausage to your tortellini soup? You can do that! I recommend cooking the sausage separately, draining it on paper towels, and then adding it to the soup along with the chicken.
• Dairy-free. If you want to make this a dairy-free soup, you can simply omit the cream cheese. The soup will still be totally delicious.

What Goes With Tortellini Soup?

Deciding what to serve with soup is, honestly, one of my favorite things. Is that weird? I just feel like selecting the perfect side for a steaming bowl of soup ups the coziness factor and can really make the meal special.

In addition to topping with Parmesan cheese, here are some of my favorite things to serve with it:

• Crusty bread slices – Toast them up a bit and then add some melted butter. So good!
• Cathead Biscuits
• Buttermilk Biscuits
• Cornbread Muffins
• Sweet Potato Buttermilk Biscuits
• Apple Walnut Spring Mix Salad

How to Store & Reheat Leftovers

• Fridge: Let the soup cool to room temperature, then ladle it into an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Reheat on the stove: Simply ladle your desired amount into a small pot and warm it over medium-low heat until it reaches your desired temperature. You may need to add more broth because the pasta will have absorbed some liquid.
• Microwave: You can also reheat single servings in the microwave, stirring halfway through the heating time to make sure the soup warms evenly.

More Soup Recipes

• Albondigas (Mexican Meatball Soup)
• Crack Chicken Noodle Soup
• White Bean Soup
• Vegetarian French Onion Soup
• Broccoli Cheese Soup
• Creamy Vegetable Soup