Easy 20-Minute Chicken Tortellini Soup

This cozy chicken tortellini soup is ready in 20 minutes and uses store-bought cheese tortellini. It’s a simple entree that requires minimal time. You’ll love this comforting soup recipe!

This Easy 20-Minute Chicken Tortellini Soup is so fast, simple, and kid-approved. It’s a satisfying dish you can whip up when you have people to feed and very little time to do it in. What a great option for busy weeknights or mellow weekends at home!

In an effort to save time, we’re using refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini. I use it often in my house, usually tossed in vodka sauce and paired with a side salad. Then one day I got tired of that meal and inspiration struck. Instead I used the tortellini to make a fun version of a classic chicken noodle soup. You can imagine how excited my kids were. Soup with cheese tortellini pasta? Score! I’ve made this so many times since then and I’m telling you this is the best tortellini soup out there and certainly the easiest!

Easy Chicken Tortellini Soup Ingredients

• Olive oil: A little bit of oil helps us sauté the celery, carrots and onion until tender. I recommend extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil but you can use any oil you’re comfortable cooking with.
• Celery: Celery is considered an aromatic along with onion and garlic, meaning it adds aroma and flavor to dishes. The taste of the celery itself won’t stand out, but it works with the other aromatics to add extra flavor that is especially appreciated in soups and stews.
• Carrots: We’re dicing the carrots so you get some in every bite.
• Onion: White or yellow onion both work well. We’ll sauté onion until tender to help create a flavorful broth.
• Garlic: You can mince your own garlic or use a jarred variety.
• Chicken stock or broth: Both chicken stock and chicken broth can be used in this chili. Stock is typically made by simmering chicken bones for hours along with carrots, celery, and onion. Broth is made by simmering the whole chicken instead of only the bones. You can sub vegetable stock if that’s what you have on hand.
• Cooked chicken: Any fully cooked chicken will work beautifully in this dish. If you have leftover chicken that’s perfect! Just chop it up and toss it in. Or purchase and shred a store-bought rotisserie chicken to save time.
• Refrigerated cheese tortellini: Purchase any refrigerated cheesy tortellini you like. It cooks fast!
• Fresh parsley: Fresh parsley is a bright finishing touch to this entree before serving. You can use fresh basil if you prefer.
• Seasonings: We are using a few dried spices and herbs to add so much flavor. These include dried thyme, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. You can swap out the dried herbs for italian seasoning if you prefer too.

How to Make Easy Chicken Tortellini Soup

To make this easy tortellini soup recipe we’ll start by sautéing the celery, onion, carrots, and garlic in a little oil in a large pot. These simple ingredients do so much to flavor our soup base. Once it’s fragrant and the onion is tender it’s time to incorporate the other ingredients.

Add chicken stock and bring to a quick boil.

Add shredded or chopped chicken, tortellini, salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano to stock. Cover and simmer on medium-high heat until tortellini is tender. This can take 5 minutes but cooking time can vary depending on how hot your burner is.

Stir in the fresh parsley. You can even stir in fresh spinach if you’d like to increase your fiber or red pepper flakes for some spice! Top with shaved parmesan cheese and serve with garlic bread. This is a perfect meal you’ll want in your regular rotation.

What Chicken is Best to Use?

Any fully cooked chicken will work beautifully in this dish. If you have leftover chicken that’s perfect! Or purchase and shred a store-bought rotisserie chicken to save time.

Where Can You Find Cheese Tortellini?

For this soup I recommend the refrigerated cheese tortellini you can find in a refrigerated case in grocery stores usually by the produce section. It’s typically in bags or plastic clamshell packaging.

Can You Use Chicken or Spinach Tortellini?

You absolutely can use any refrigerated tortellini. I personally prefer cheese tortellini in this dish since the filling is the creamiest and compliments the other ingredients so well.

Can You Use Frozen or Dry Tortellini?

Fresh cheese tortellini (refrigerated) cooks quickly and has the best flavor so I suggest sticking with it. If you’d like to use dried or frozen pasta you can but you’ll likely need to increase your cook time. Consult the package directions to see how much time it will take for best results.

What to Serve with Chicken Tortellini Soup

Top with shaved parmesan or my Homemade Croutons. Serve with baked crusty bread (a baguette with butter and garlic would be yummy) or a salad. My Easy Homemade Italian Dressing would be the perfect addition to your salad.

How to Store Leftovers

Want to enjoy this delicious comfort food the next day? Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stovetop on low to medium-low heat until warmed through.

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