This Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup Recipe is pure, cozy comfort food. A luscious combination of shredded chicken, tender veggies, and pillowy cheese tortellini in a thin creamy broth, everyone will love this easy and delicious soup recipe.
My favorite time of year has officially arrived and I am so ready for it.
Yes, you guys, I’m talking about soup season!
And even though northern California is forecasted to be somewhere in the mid-sixties this week, I don’t care. It rained last weekend and that’s all that really matters.
Today we’re making this super delicious and creamy chicken tortellini soup. A perfect blend of creamy, guilty lusciousness with healthy good-for-you veggies and chicken, this recipe is all about cozying up and feeling good.
I’m a pretty huge fan.
Easy to make (easy enough for busy weeknights!), this super yummy soup is simple and the kids will love it (yay!)
Are you looking for a less creamy tortellini soup? Check out my easy chicken tortellini soup recipe
How to Make Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Cook the tortellini in a separate pot of salted boiling water until al dente.
- Soften the onions, carrots, and celery in a large Dutch oven set over medium to medium-high heat until tender.
- Add the garlic and butter and cook until fragrant.
- Sprinkle with flour, mixing well to coat the vegetables with the flour and butter.
- Add the chicken broth.
- Followed by the dried thyme, dried oregano, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Stir in the milk and heavy cream.
- Bring the soup to a simmer.
- Add the shredded chicken and frozen corn and return to a low simmer.
- Remove from heat.
- Serve individual bowls with the precooked tortellini and ladle the desired amount of hot soup over the top.
- Garnish with red chili flakes, fresh herbs, or grated cheese, if desired.
- Enjoy!
Recipe Notes and Frequently Asked Questions
How thick is this creamy chicken tortellini soup?
This soup is somewhere between a broth-based soup and a heavy, rich, cream-based soup. For context, it isn’t as thick as clam chowder but is thicker (and definitely richer) than classic chicken noodle soup.
How can I make it thicker?
By creating a roux with butter and flour, we’ve already thickened the soup, but if you want to thicken it even more, the easiest way to do this is,
- Double the roux (the butter and flour mixed with the softened veggies)
- Boil and puree 1-2 potatoes and add it to the soup
- Make a cornstarch slurry with 1-2 teaspoons of cornstarch with 1-2 tablespoons of water
What other veggies can I add to this soup?
Frozen peas, diced bell pepper, baby spinach or kale, parsnips, or winter squash.
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Creamy Tortellini Soup
Leftover soup may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, simply add the soup to a small pot on the stovetop, set temperature to medium-high, and cook, stirring often, until heated through. Avoid boiling, as it may cause the milk to curdle. You may also reheat in the microwave.
Note – if you store the tortellini with the soup in the refrigerator, you may need to add additional broth or liquid to your soup before reheating as the tortellini will continue to absorb liquid as they cool. For best results, store the tortellini separately from the soup.
I do not recommend freezing this type of soup due to the dairy and cheesy tortellini. Often with freezing, milk solids will separate once thawed and cooked then frozen pasta does not thaw well.
Try these other chicken soup recipes,
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup Recipe
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Caldo de Pollo Recipe (Mexican Chicken Soup)
Did you try making this Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup Recipe?
Tell me about it in the comments below! I always love to hear your thoughts.
RECIPE CARD
Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium onions - diced
- 3 large carrots - peeled and chopped
- 3 stalks celery - chopped
- 6 cloves garlic - minced
- 4 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth - or chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt - plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 3 cups cooked chicken - shredded
- 2 cups frozen sweet corn
- 1 (8 ounce) package cheese tortellini
- red pepper flakes, fresh thyme, fresh parsley, grated parmesan cheese - to garnish, optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the tortellini according to package directions, then drain and set aside.
- Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for about 5 minutes. As the onion softens, chop the carrots and celery, then add them to the pot with onions. Mix well and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and butter. Mix well. Once the butter is melted, sprinkle the veggies with ¼ of all-purpose flour. Mix, stirring continuously, for approximately one minute to cook out the flour.
- Slowly add the chicken broth, whisking continuously.
- Add the dried thyme, dried oregano, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add the milk and heavy cream.
- Increase heat to high. Once the soup almost reaches a boil, immediately reduce heat to medium-low.
- Add the cooked, shredded chicken and frozen corn. Cook until heated and the soup has returned to a simmer.
- Add the precooked tortellini to the simmering pot or add the cooked tortellini to individual soup bowls.
- Serve garnished with freshly chopped parsley, thyme, or grated parmesan cheese, if desired.
Jessica's Notes
- Any kind of cooked and shredded chicken works great in this recipe. Here I added 2 large leftover boneless skinless chicken breasts. Feel free to add chicken thighs or a mix of light and dark meat by purchasing a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.
- You may also cook the tortellini directly in the soup, however, it is best to serve and enjoy this soup immediately as tortellini pasta will continue to absorb liquid, swell, and (to some degree) fall apart. As such, if you know that you will have leftovers, I recommend cooking the tortellini in a separate pot of lightly salted boiling water until al dente and adding to each individual soup bowl as desired.
- I prefer to use fresh cheese tortellini (found in the refrigerated section of your local grocery store), but frozen or dry tortellini will also work. Simply adjust the cooking time as needed.
- For best results, add some combination of whole milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream. Lower fat milk is more likely to curdle.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
My family loved it! The creamy broth makes it!
Thanks for the lovely feedback and rating, Jessica 🙂
Thank you for the great recipe idea. I was looking for something easy and hearty to feed hungry young men for the day after Christmas. I also used what I had and replaced the chicken for leftover ham which I chopped up into small pieces, leftover corn from the holiday, cheese ravioli because I was out of tortellini and added about a cup of frozen spinach during the last five minutes before serving. I will definitely fix this again. Delicious, full of goodness and hearty enough to satisfy growing boys. Thanks for the great recipe!
Thank you for the great feedback and rating, Julie 😀
This was delicious and so easy to make/clean up! My kids loved it and I had SO much left over that I shared with my neighbors and they loved it as well! Making again for my grandparents who are visiting tomorrow 🙂
Thank you for the delicious feedback and rating, Jordyn 😀
While this is delicious, I think the whole milk AND heavy cream are overkill. Definitely tastes like cream more than a creamy soup. Next time I will probably replace the whole milk with more chicken broth to see how it tastes. Thanks!
Very good! My kids love tortellini so of course this is a family win. I had to make a few modifications to work with what I had but it turned out great. No celery so just added more carrots, no milk so I upped the chicken broth a bit and added some cream cheese and Parmesan cheese! My only suggestion would be to decrease the amount of Thyme by at least half as it gives it a bit too much of a chicken pie taste to me. Otherwise fantastic!
Chicken pot pie I should say! 😉
This was so amazing! The whole family loved it. I will for sure be making this often. The only thing that I added to it was some truffle oil and I also used a ravioli with a truffled parmesan cheese. It all came together well. I think I’ll add some peas next time. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Thanks for the feedback and rating Jennifer 🙂
Wow! Just wow! I knew this recipe was going to be good but I didn’t know it was going to be “knock your socks off” good. I followed the recipe exactly as it was written and it was so silky, creamy and delicious! The perfect soup for a cold rainy day. Actually, it’s the perfect soup for any day. My husband and our kids all loved it! Can’t wait to make this again! Thank you!!!
Thanks for the “knock your socks off” good feedback and rating Stephanie 🙂
Made this tonight and it turned out amazing! Added some Parmesan at the end! Definitely a keeper!
Thanks for the amazing feedback and rating Marie 😀
Can I freeze this without the tortellini?
I have not tried to freeze this recipe, but I would freeze it without both the cream and tortellini if I were to try.
Have you ever tried this recipe in a crockpot?
I have not tried this is in a crockpot, sorry.
Thank you.
Made tonight. Hubby wasn’t feeling real well plus it’s been a nice semicool fall day. So perfect for chicken soup. Delicious. Will make again.
Thanks for the delicious feedback Sheri – I hope your husband feels better soon! 🙂
Made this soup today, our first chilly, breezy Autumn day in the Philly area. It was so easy to make, as I had all the ingredients on hand. The house smells wonderful and the soup tastes delicious! Wish I could send you a picture.
Thanks for the feedback and rating, Patty 🙂
You can always tag me on Instagram @theforkedspoon
Delicious.
How much does this recipe yield? I have a 2.5 qt Dutch oven- could I cook it in this?
OH MY GOSH! This recipe was BOMB! I followed it exactly except added some Parmesan in at the end with the tortellini. Will make it again for sure!
Thanks for the bomb feedback Allison 🙂
This looks really good and delicious. Perfect for cold weather! Thank you for sharing this. Will try this soon!