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Chicken Tortellini Soup

Chicken tortellini soup with a golden herb broth and cheese-filled tortellini cooked until just tender. Shredded chicken and baby spinach wilt into the simmering broth for a hearty Italian-American main.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast Cooked and shredded
  • 6 cup chicken broth
Soup Base
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion diced
  • 3 carrots sliced
  • 4 clove garlic minced
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp dried basil
Pasta and Vegetables
  • 20 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini
  • 3 cup baby spinach
Seasoning and Serving
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 pepper to taste
  • 1 Parmesan and fresh basil for serving
  • 1 fresh basil for serving

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté aromatics
  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then sauté the onion and carrots for 5 minutes, stirring until they start to soften and look glossy.
Build the herb flavor
  1. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and dried basil, then cook for 1 minute until fragrant and lightly toasted, with no browning.
Simmer the broth
  1. Pour in the chicken broth and bring it to a boil, then keep at a steady boil so the soup bubbles actively.
Cook the tortellini
  1. Add the refrigerated cheese tortellini and cook for 4-5 minutes until just tender, stirring occasionally so the pasta doesn’t stick.
Finish with chicken and spinach
  1. Stir in the shredded chicken and baby spinach, then cook for 2-3 minutes until the spinach wilts and turns bright green.
Season and serve
  1. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve hot with generous Parmesan and fresh basil on top.

Notes

Pro tip: Cook the tortellini until just tender since it keeps softening in the hot broth—add it earlier in the cook window if your tortellini tends to overcook. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stove until steaming, adding a splash of broth if needed. Freezing is not recommended because tortellini texture changes after thawing. For a lower-carb option, replace tortellini with gluten-free or small pasta alternatives and consider using less tortellini while keeping the chicken and spinach portions the same.