Chicken Tortellini Soup

This Chicken Tortellini Soup has the best homemade flavor and is easy to make on the Stove Top or in the Crock Pot. It has the best combination of Italian seasonings, juicy chicken with vegetables, and easy add-ons like spinach or cream!

Be sure to try my Lemon Chicken Soup recipe next!

Chicken Tortellini Soup

There is nothing cozier than a pot filled with this hearty Chicken Tortellini Soup. This recipe incorporates the best techniques and the most amazing flavor combinations from beginning to end. (Plus, it’s Crock Pot friendly!) Here’s what makes this soup so great:

What Makes This the Best Recipe

What I love most about this recipe is that we sear the seasoned chicken first. This adds golden fond to the bottom of the pot and infuses the broth with a ton of homemade flavor.

It also adds a nice golden crust to the outside of the chicken while keeping the inside nice and juicy. (Of course, you can use leftover chicken instead if needed!)

Simple flavor enhancers like hot sauce, mustard powder, and Worcestershire sauce are used in this recipe and can’t be detected outright, but it really elevates the end result.

And finally, the blend of seasonings ensures that every bite is sensational. No bland soup here!

How to Make It

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Season the chicken with salt/pepper and Italian seasoning. Sear it in olive oil for 3-4 minutes per side. Set aside and let rest for 10 minutes, then shred and set aside.

Melt butter in the same pot and use a silicone spatula to clean the “fond” from the bottom of the pot. This will give lots of great flavor to the broth.

Add the diced onions, carrots and celery and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and seasonings and cook for 1 minute. Then add the chicken broth.

Add the shredded chicken and let it gently simmer for 15 minutes. Add the tortellini and simmer for 3 minutes, or until cooked through. Serve!

Crock Pot Method

Note: You can skip the searing step for the Crock Pot Method. I also recommend using fresh (not leftover) chicken as leftover chicken is prone to becoming dry if cooked for several hours in the Crock Pot.

• Melt the butter in the Crock Pot. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic and toss to coat.
• Add the seasonings, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, uncooked chicken, and chicken broth.
• Cook on low for 6 hours. (I recommend low heat to keep the chicken juicy and tender. Cooking it over higher heat makes it tougher. If necessary, it can be cooked for 4 hours on high.)
• Remove the chicken and use 2 forks to shred. Add it back to the soup along with the tortellini.
• Add the tortellini and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until expanded and cooked through. Serve!

What to Add to Chicken Tortellini Soup

• For even more flavor, add the rind from a block of Parmesan or Romano cheese when you add the broth and let it simmer and flavor the soup. If any remains at the end of cooking, it can be discarded. Salt will likely not need to be added if you do this.
• Up to 1 cup of heavy cream can be stirred in at the end over low heat if desired.
• 2-3 cups of Spinach can be added at the end if desired. Add it once the tortellini is cooked and let it wilt, about 30 seconds. If you use frozen spinach, let it thaw and pat it dry prior to adding it.
• Frozen peas, corn, or green beans can be stirred in 10 minutes prior to serving if desired.
• To make this with sausage, check out my recipe for sausage tortellini soup. 
• Top this soup with Ranch Oyster Crackers for even more flavor!

Pro Tips

• Bone-in chicken breast or thighs adds the most flavor to the broth, but boneless chicken or leftover/rotisserie chicken may also be used.
• You can’t taste the hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or mustard powder in this recipe. They are used as flavor enhancers in the soup. 
• I use RANA refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini for this recipe. I also use Frank’s Hot Sauce for this recipe, but any variety is fine!

Storage

• Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Note that the tortellini will continue to absorb some of the broth during storage. I like to remove the tortellini from the soup and store it separately. You can also boil it on the side and add it directly to serving bowls.
• This soup does freeze well. Consider boiling the tortellini separately so that it doesn’t absorb too much broth or get overly soft.

Tools For This Recipe

(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.

• 4.5 quart Dutch oven– This is a great size for this recipe.
• Kitchen Scale: In case you need to weigh the chicken. (I use this all the time.)
• Spice Rack– This is the one I have, it’s a snap to measure out your seasonings quickly and easily. (Big time saver.)
• Measuring Spoons– To measure out the seasonings.
• Pinch Bowls– I measure out my seasonings ahead of time and add them to these small bowls so they’re ready to go when it’s time to add them.
• 16 oz. storage containers – I use these to store/freeze my soups. They have 8 oz. sizes as well. They’re stackable, leak proof, and dishwasher/microwave safe.

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Chicken Tortellini Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

4.94 from 33 ratings

Servings: 10 cups

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This Chicken Tortellini Soup is easy to make on the Stove Top or in the Crock Pot. It has the best combination of Italian seasonings, juicy chicken with vegetables, and easy add-ons like spinach or cream!

Ingredients

Seasonings

• ▢ 1 teaspoon EACH: dried basil, dried parsley
• ▢ ½ teaspoon EACH: dried oregano, mustard powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon EACH: ground sage, pepper

Soup

• ▢ 1 1/4 lb. bone-in chicken breast, see notes
• ▢ Salt/Pepper, to taste
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 1 yellow onion, diced
• ▢ ¾ cup diced carrots
• ▢ 2 ribs celery, diced
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 6 cups chicken broth
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• ▢ 10 oz. refrigerated tortellini, about 2 cups

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Instructions

Stove Top Method (See Notes for Crock Pot Method)

Sear the Chicken

• Note: Searing the chicken is optional, raw or cooked chicken can be added right to the broth in later steps. Searing first adds fond to the soup pot which makes the broth more flavorful. It also adds color and texture to some of the chicken.
• Season each side of the chicken with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Heat olive oil in a 4 ½-quart soup pot over medium-high heat.
• Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until a little bit of a brown color has developed. Remove and set aside. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes, then use 2 forks to shred. If the middle isn’t cooked, it will finish cooking in later steps.

Make the Soup

• Combine the seasonings and set aside.
• Melt the butter in the same pot and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pot. Add the diced onions, carrots, and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and seasonings. Cook for 1 more minute.
• Add the chicken broth and shredded chicken. Bring to a very gentle bubble, (a boil will make the chicken tough). Simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes.
• Add the refrigerated tortellini and simmer until cooked through. (Refer to package for guidance on timing.) Rana refrigerated tortellini take just 3 minutes. Taste and add any seasonings if desired, including up to ½ teaspoon of salt. Serve!

Notes

Pro Tips:

• Chicken: The chicken can be skin-on or skinless. Bone-in chicken adds a lot more flavor to the broth, but boneless can be used if needed. You can also use 2 cups of leftover or rotisserie chicken, add it to the soup when the freshly shredded chicken is added.
• Seasonings and Flavor Enhancers: You can’t taste the hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or mustard powder in this recipe. They are used as flavor enhancers in the soup. The hot sauce doesn't make the soup hot/spicy.
• I use RANA refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini for this recipe. I also use Frank's Hot Sauce for this recipe, but any variety is fine!

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Optional Add-Ons:

• For even more flavor, add the rind from a block of Parmesan or Romano cheese when you add the broth and let it simmer and flavor the soup. If any remains at the end of cooking, it can be discarded. Salt will likely not need to be added if you do this.
• Up to 1 cup of heavy cream can be stirred in at the end over low heat if desired.
• 2-3 cups of Spinach can be added at the end if desired. Add it once the tortellini is cooked and let it wilt, about 30 seconds. If you use frozen spinach, let it thaw and pat it dry prior to adding it.
• Frozen peas, corn, or green beans can be stirred in 10 minutes prior to serving if desired.
• To make this with sausage, check out my recipe for sausage tortellini soup. 
• Top this soup with Ranch Oyster Crackers for even more flavor!

---

Crock Pot Method

Note: You can skip the searing step for the Crock Pot Method. I also recommend using fresh (not leftover) chicken as leftover chicken is prone to becoming dry if cooked for several hours in the Crock Pot.

• Melt the butter in the Crock Pot. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic and toss to coat.
• Add the seasonings, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, uncooked chicken, and chicken broth.
• Cook on low for 6 hours. (I recommend low heat to keep the chicken juicy and tender. Cooking it over higher heat makes it tougher. If necessary, it can be cooked for 4 hours on high.)
• Remove the chicken and use 2 forks to shred. Add it back to the soup along with the tortellini.
• Add the tortellini and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until expanded and cooked through. Serve!

---

Storage:

• Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Note that the tortellini will continue to absorb some of the broth during storage. I like to remove the tortellini from the soup and store it separately. You can also boil it on the side and add it directly to serving bowls.
• You can also freeze this soup for up to 3 months. Consider boiling the tortellini separately so that it doesn’t absorb too much broth or get overly soft.

Nutrition

Calories: 199kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 38mg, Sodium: 705mg, Potassium: 246mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 1703IU, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 72mg, Iron: 2mg

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Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Author: Stephanie