This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
This Chicken Tortellini Soup Recipe is pure, cozy comfort food ready in under an hour! Filled with an irresistible combination of shredded chicken, tender veggies, and pillowy cheese tortellini in a light, cream-filled broth, it’s a guaranteed family favorite.
My favorite time of year has officially arrived and I am so ready for it. Yes, you guys, I’m talking about soup season!
Today we’re making my super delicious and flavorful chicken tortellini soup. A cross between my spinach tortellini soup recipe and creamy chicken gnocchi soup, it’s a dreamy combination of feel-food veggies and shredded chicken in a light and creamy broth. It’s what I call, the very definition of healthier comfort food.
I’m a pretty huge fan.
So, this soup is super easy to make (easy enough for busy weeknights) using simple, everyday ingredients like dried seasonings, canned corn, and leftover shredded chicken. The broth is light and satisfying; not too thick or heavy that you feel sick after finishing your dinner. And heck yes, you can absolutely make this in the slow cooker. I’ll tell you how later in this post.
5-Star Reader Review
“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!!!”
– Stephanie
About the Ingredients
You can find the full list of ingredients, plus measurements, in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Vegetables + Aromatics: A classic mirepoix of diced onions, carrots, and celery forms the flavorful foundation of the soup. They are sautéed in olive oil to soften them and enhance their natural sweetness.
- Butter + Flour: This combination forms a roux, the base of the soup’s creamy texture. The butter adds richness while the flour thickens the broth for a smooth, velvety consistency.
- Chicken Broth: Low-sodium chicken broth offers a flavorful, savory base without overpowering the soup with salt. For a richer flavor, feel free to use homemade chicken stock.
- Dried Herbs + Seasonings: A blend of thyme, oregano, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper gives the soup warm, comforting flavor. These dried herbs are convenient and provide depth without needing fresh herbs.
- Whole milk + Heavy cream: Whole milk creates a creamy base without being too heavy, while the heavy cream adds body and richness. This combination keeps the soup luscious and satisfying. For a lighter tasting soup, use less of or omit the heavy cream.
- Chicken: Shredded cooked chicken makes this soup hearty and protein-packed. Rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut, or use any leftover baked or poached chicken you have on hand.
- Tortellini: Cheese tortellini are my favorite addition to this soup, but you can also add meat-filled tortellini, mini ravioli, or pillowy potato gnocchi.
How to Make Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup
This flavorful chicken tortellini soup is super easy to make! You can cook the tortellini directly in the pot of soup in the last five minutes of cooking, or in a separate pot of salted water.
To begin, heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté the onions, carrots, and celery until softened (usually about 10 to 15 minutes). Stir in the minced garlic and melt the butter, then sprinkle the veggies with a little flour. Stir continuously for about a minute to cook off the raw flour taste. You’ll notice the vegetables coated in a paste-like substance. That’s your roux, a mixture of flour and butter.
Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, then add the dried thyme, dried oregano, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Finally, add the milk and heavy cream.
Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low.
Add the cooked and shredded chicken and corn. Return to a simmer and continue to cook for about 5 minutes, or until the soup thickens slightly.
Add the tortellini and cook just until tender, or cook separately and add it directly to individual serving bowls with hot soup ladled over the top (recommended).
Serve each bowl topped with freshly chopped parsley, thyme, red pepper flakes, or grated parmesan cheese, if desired. Enjoy!
Cooking Tip
Tortellini will continue to soak up liquid and soften as it sits in the soup. For the best texture when enjoying leftovers, cook and store the tortellini separately. Add it to individual servings just before eating.
Frequently Asked Questions
This soup is somewhere between a broth-based soup and a rich, cream-based soup. For context, it isn’t as thick as clam chowder, but it is thicker (and definitely richer) than classic chicken noodle soup.
To make this creamy chicken tortellini soup even thicker, try one of the following:
1. Double the roux (the butter and flour mixture).
2. Add 1 to 2 boiled and pureed Russet potatoes.
3. Add a cornstarch slurry to the simmering soup until it thickens (1 to 2 teaspoons of cornstarch with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water).
This chicken tortellini soup is great with frozen peas, baby spinach or kale, and various types of winter squash. I like adding kabocha squash or delicata squash since the skin is edible and I don’t have to bother with peeling.
To make this soup in the crockpot, add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, chicken broth, corn, and seasonings to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours, until the vegetables are tender. About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the milk, heavy cream, shredded cooked chicken, and cheese tortellini. Continue cooking on high until the tortellini is tender. For best texture, you can also cook the tortellini separately and add it to individual bowls before serving. Garnish with fresh herbs and parmesan if desired. Note: this method skips thickening with a roux.
Storage and Reheating Tips
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 over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, until heated through. Avoid boiling, as it may cause the milk to curdle.
Note: If the soup and tortellini were stored in the same container, add a bit of broth or milk before reheating (the tortellini likely absorbed much of the broth as they sat). For best results, store the tortellini separately from the soup.
Freezing is not recommended.
More Chicken Soup Recipes
If you make this creamy chicken tortellini soup recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment section below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more delicious food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.
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.
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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My family loved it! The creamy broth makes it!
Thanks for the lovely feedback and rating, Jessica ๐
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 ๐
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 ๐
Thank you for the delicious feedback and rating, Jordyn ๐
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! ๐