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Chicken Tortellini Soup

Chicken tortellini soup with a golden herb broth and tender refrigerated cheese tortellini. Shredded chicken and baby spinach wilt into the simmering broth for a cozy Italian-American bowl.
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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
  

Shredded chicken
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast Cooked and shredded.
Tortellini and greens
  • 20 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini Use as directed; cook until just tender.
  • 3 cup baby spinach Added at the end to wilt.
Vegetables and aromatics
  • 3 carrots Sliced.
  • 1 onion Diced.
  • 4 garlic Minced.
Soup base and seasoning
  • 6 cup chicken broth For the soup base.
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 Parmesan For serving.
  • 1 fresh basil For serving.
  • 1 salt To taste.
  • 1 black pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté the vegetables
  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté onion and carrots for 5 minutes until softened and fragrant (visual cue: onion turns translucent).
Bloom the herbs
  1. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and dried basil to the pot. Cook for 1 minute while stirring (visual cue: garlic smells aromatic, not browned).
Simmer the soup base
  1. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Keep at a steady boil for about 1 minute before proceeding (visual cue: bubbles break across the surface).
Cook the tortellini
  1. Add refrigerated cheese tortellini to the boiling broth. Cook 4-5 minutes until just tender (visual cue: tortellini float and the filling is hot through).
Finish with chicken and spinach
  1. Stir in shredded chicken and baby spinach. Cook 2-3 minutes until the spinach wilts (visual cue: spinach turns bright green and soft).
Season and serve
  1. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then ladle into bowls. Top generously with parmesan and fresh basil (visual cue: finishing cheese and herbs sit on top rather than sinking).

Notes

For best texture, cook tortellini until just tender—overcooking can make it mushy in leftovers. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of chicken broth if needed. Freezing isn’t recommended because tortellini can soften too much. For a lower-carb option, use a broth-forward approach with spinach and chicken and replace tortellini with zucchini ribbons or a small amount of cauliflower gnocchi.