This simple Creamy Chicken and Tortellini soup is so comforting! It’s packed with tender chicken, fresh veggies, and cheese tortellini. A number of herbs and other seasonings go into the cream soup base, giving it lots of extra flavor.
This is one of my favorite creamy soups to make because it’s so simple but so delicious. I included instructions for cooking the chicken in the soup, but you can sub in precooked chicken if desired, which makes the recipe even easier. I typically use frozen tortellini in this recipe (since they’re such a good deal) but you can use fresh or frozen!
Key Tips – Creamy Chicken and Tortellini Soup
For the best deal, look for frozen tortellini.
- Premade tortellini can vary greatly in price, and fresh tends to cost quite a bit more than frozen. I don’t think the quality of the tortellini really shines through much in this recipe, so cheap frozen tortellini do just fine!
Substitute pre-cooked chicken if desired.
- I include instructions for cooking the chicken along with the soup, but if you have some chicken that’s already cooked sitting in the fridge, you can use that in this recipe instead! Using precooked chicken should save you about 10 minutes of time on this recipe.
This recipe intentionally uses one carton of stock and one bottle of half-and-half.
- The base for the soup is chicken stock and half-and-half. Conveniently, this recipe uses one full container of each in the sizes pictured below. These are some of the most common size for these products available in my area, and I hope they are convenient for you as well!
Dietary Restrictions – Creamy Chicken and Tortellini Soup
Make it Gluten-Free.
- Sub in gluten-free tortellini.
- Sub in gluten-free flour.
- Better than Bullion may contain gluten, so sub in a gluten-free bouillon cube.
A Note On Serving Sizes
Serving sizes are a very personal thing, making it difficult for me to select a serving size that suits everyone. One batch of this recipe makes about 4 standard servings, but some people may want to have more than one serving per sitting.
Creamy Chicken and Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
- 12-16 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast or sub precooked chicken and skip steps 1 & 2
- ~20 oz fresh or frozen tortellini I use frozen cheese tortellini
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 1/2 cup packed baby spinach
- 1 medium yellow or white onion diced
- 2 tbsp freshly minced garlic
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
Seasonings:
- 1 tbsp whole grain dijon mustard
- 1 tsp chicken better than bullion or one chicken bullion cube
- 3 bay leaves optional
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Cover the chicken breast with plastic wrap and gently pound it to an even thickness. Season all over with salt and pepper.
- Warm the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken breast and sear on both sides until golden, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken to a plate, but do not wipe the pan clean. (The chicken does not need to be cooked through)
- Add the onions to the pot along with the butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Reduce the heat to medium and sprinkle the flour over the onions. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and to the pot and mix, then add the half-and-half.
- Bring the soup to a gentle simmer, and reduce heat if needed. Add all of the seasonings. Dissolve the cornstarch in the warm water and add it to the pot. Add the chicken back to the pot and let it simmer for 20-25 minutes until the soup has thickened, and the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the chicken and the bay leaves from the pot. Add the carrots and the tortellini to the pot. Shred the chicken while the tortellini cooks.
- Once the tortellini have cooked through (about 3 minutes) remove the pot from heat and add the shredded chicken and spinach. Mix together until the spinach is slightly wilted, then serve immediately.
If you like this recipe, you may also like…
If you enjoy this recipe, you may also enjoy my “Marry Me” Chicken & Tortellini, Creamy Potato Soup, or Coconut Lime Chicken & Pasta.
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