Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup

Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup has lots of veggies and the perfect seasoning blend. This easy, hearty, and delicious soup can ready in 30 minutes!

Pair this creamy soup with some crusty bread or freshly made Dinner Rolls, and a light salad such as this Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad.

Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup

This thick and robust soup is sure to be a hit in cold weather. It has something for everyone: veggie lovers, pasta enthusiasts, and cheese aficionados. Packed with vegetables, loaded with pasta, and based in a creamy, cheesy blend, this soup caters to all tastes!

Below is a quick overview of how to make this soup, accompanied by two photo collages that illustrate the process.

Ingredients In Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup

• Olive Oil and Butter: These fats are used for sautéing the vegetables, providing flavor and helping to cook them evenly. Butter also helps thicken the soup later on.
• Yellow Onion, Carrot, Celery, Red Pepper, Garlic: These vegetables form the aromatic base of the soup, offering depth of flavor and nutrition.
• Flour: Used to thicken the soup, creating a creamy texture when combined with the butter and liquids.
• Dried Thyme, Dried Oregano, Italian Seasoning, Cayenne Pepper, Salt, Pepper: These seasonings add complexity and warmth to the flavor profile of the soup.
• Chicken Broth and Milk: The liquids in the recipe, which form the soup’s base. Chicken broth adds flavor, while milk contributes to the creaminess.
• Frozen Corn and Shredded Rotisserie Chicken: These add texture, protein, and sweetness (from the corn) to the soup.
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Adds a rich, creamy, and cheesy flavor, enhancing the overall taste.
• Refrigerated Tortellini: Provides a hearty element to the soup, making it more filling and adding an additional layer of flavor.

How To Make Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup

1. Sauté Veggies: Sauté onions, carrots, celery, and bell pepper in butter and olive oil. Add garlic when veggies are crisp-tender.
2. Cook Tortellini: Prepare in a separate pot.
3. Season and Thicken Soup: Use butter and flour, stirring briskly to cook the flour for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add Milk and Broth: Gradually incorporate, stirring constantly, to thicken.
5. Stir in Corn and Chicken: Add these precooked ingredients to warm through.
6. Off Heat, Add Cheese: Stir in cheese after removing soup from heat to melt without separating.

Expert Tips

• Sauté Veggies Well: Ensure they are thoroughly softened at the start, as they won’t soften much later.
• Uniform Veggie Sizes: Cut them evenly for consistent cooking.
• Freshly Grate Cheese: Use sharp or extra sharp Cheddar, added off the heat, to prevent clumping and separation.
• Use Fresh Herbs: Parsley or thyme enhance freshness and cut through richness.
• Properly Salt Water: Season tortellini water and soup adequately for flavor.
• Adjust Heat: Increase cayenne pepper or add red pepper flakes for more spice.
• Alter Soup Thickness: Add more milk or stock for a thinner consistency.

More Easy Soup Recipes

• Creamy Vegetable Soup
• Healthy Minestrone Soup
• Taco Chili
• Crockpot Mexican Street Corn Chowder
• Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

SaveSaved Pin Print

5 from 11 votes

Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup

By Chelsea Lords

Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup has lots of veggies and the perfect seasoning blend. This easy, hearty, and delicious soup can ready in 30 minutes!

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• ▢ 1 small yellow onion diced (~1 cup)
• ▢ 1 large carrot, diced (3/4 cup)
• ▢ 1-2 stalks celery, diced (3/4 cup)
• ▢ 1 red pepper, diced
• ▢ 1 and 1/2 teaspoons finely minced garlic (~2 cloves)
• ▢ 1/3 cup white flour
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon EACH: dried thyme, dried oregano
• ▢ 1 and 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1/16 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, optional
• ▢ Fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
• ▢ 1 and 1/2 cups chicken broth
• ▢ 3 cups milk (1%, 2% or whole; whole will be creamiest and is what I typically use)
• ▢ 1 cup frozen corn
• ▢ 1 and 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• ▢ 1 cup freshly grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• ▢ 1 bag (9 oz) refrigerated tortellini (See Note 1)
• ▢ Optional: fresh thyme and/or 3 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley

Instructions 

• VEGGIES: In a large pot over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the diced onion, carrots, celery, and bell pepper and saute 7-9 minutes. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds more.
• TORTELLINI: In a separate pot, cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and set aside. (Don't forget to salt the pasta water when cooking the tortellini; I add in 1 teaspoon salt to every 4 cups of water.)
• SEASONINGS: Add the seasonings to the pot with the veggie -- dried thyme, dried oregano, Italian seasoning, and cayenne pepper (if using). Season to taste with salt and pepper. (I add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, but add to personal preference.) Stir seasonings for 30 seconds.
• THICKEN: Increase the heat to medium high. Push veggies to the sides of the pot and add the remaining 4 tablespoon butter to the center and stir until melted. Once melted, sprinkle in the flour. Briskly mix to incorporate the flour and then stir for 1 minute to cook off the raw flavor of the flour. Gradually whisk in 1 cup of chicken broth until it starts to thicken (~1 minute); then add the remaining chicken broth. Whisk until it thickens (~2-3 minutes) and then gradually add in the milk continuing to stir constantly. Slightly reduce the heat, cook stirring constantly, until mixture begins to gently boil and thicken (another ~2-5 minutes).
• CORN AND CHICKEN: Reduce heat to medium low. Add in the frozen corn and rotisserie chicken. Stir to warm through. (If the soup has thickened too much, add in some additional chicken stock; I usually add up to 1/2 cup to 1 cup extra).
• CHEESE AND SERVING: Remove pot from heat and add in the cheese. Stir to melt. Season soup to taste with any additional salt and pepper. Add in parsley (if using). Serve, adding tortellini to individual bowls. Garnish with fresh thyme and serve with crusty bread if desired.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Tortellini: I recommend good quality tortellini. There are frozen, fresh, and shelf-stable tortellini to choose from, as well as myriad brands, so it can be overwhelming. If you have a favorite tortellini, use that; otherwise there are some taste-tested recommendations here and here!

While it seems easiest to just cook the tortellini in this soup, I don't recommend it for a few reasons.

1. First, with all the different types of tortellini (shelf-stable, frozen, fresh), it's hard to give recommendations for how to cook each specific type of tortellini in this soup.
2. Next, if there is leftover soup, the tortellini soaks up all the soup liquid and becomes overly bloated resulting in an unpleasant texture. For leftovers, it's better to store the tortellini separately from the soup.
3. Finally, it's actually faster to cook the tortellini separately. Yes, it dirties another pot, but you'll have the tortellini ready to go about the same time the soup is ready instead of waiting on the tortellini to cook through in the soup liquid.

Nutrition

Serving: 4servings | Calories: 423kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 596mg | Potassium: 288mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2050IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 278mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!