Easy Chicken Tortellini Soup (with Slow Cooker Option)

Chicken Tortellini Soup is a hearty soup that will warm you up on a cold winter day. Loaded with lots of fresh vegetables, tender chicken and cheesy tortellini, it is a meal in a bowl! Tomatoes and herbs add an Italian twist that the whole family will love.

Why You Will Love Homemade Chicken Tortellini Soup

• This chicken soup starts by searing skinless chicken thighs until they are golden brown, to create a beautiful fond. This adds an additional layer of flavor that you don’t get from simply adding raw chicken to broth or stock.
• Chicken thighs are tender, flavorful and budget friendly.
• This recipe uses simple ingredients that create deep, rich flavors.
• The aroma of the simmering soup will lure everyone to the table!

Ingredients And Substitutions

• Chicken Thighs: I prefer to use skinless, bone-in thighs to garner the most flavor and because they tend to be more tender then white meat. I also like that chicken thighs are a fairly lean protein.
• Carrot, Onion and Celery: Dice the vegetables so that they are about the same size and will cook evenly.
• Italian Seasoning: The dried Italian blend is easy to find in local grocery stores.
• Chicken Stock or Chicken Broth: Store bought or homemade chicken stock can be used.
• Chicken Bouillon: This adds great flavor to the soup, but it can be left out if you don’t have it.
• Canned Tomatoes: Use whole canned tomatoes in puree or juice, and crush them by hand. This adds to the Italian flavors and provides texture to the soup. To add a little smoky flavor to your soup you can use Fire Roasted Tomatoes in place of regular canned tomatoes.
• Cheese Tortellini: You can use frozen or fresh tortellini.

How To Make Comforting Chicken Tortellini Soup

1. Brown the chicken: Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then sear it until it is golden brown on both sides. Place it on a plate and set it aside.
2. Sauté the vegetables: Add the onions, carrots and celery to the pan. Mix in the Italian seasonings, slat and pepper and cook until the onion is tender, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Cook the soup: Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, and bouillon to the pan, then return the chicken and juices to the pan. Cook over medium heat until it comes to boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes.
4. Cut up the chicken: Remove the cooked chicken from the soup and allow it to cool for a few minutes so that it is easy to handle. Remove the chicken from the bone and chop it into bite size pieces, then return the meat to the soup.
5. Cook the Tortellini: In a separate pan bring water to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook for 3-5 minutes or until they float to the top of the water. Drain the tortellini and add then to the soup.

Slow Cooker Option

1. To get the same flavor that you would in the stove top method, go ahead and brown the chicken in a skillet. If you don’t have time you can skip this step.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the crockpot and add the carrots, onion and celery and mix well.
3. Add the chicken and the remaining ingredients, except the tortellini, to the slow cooker and set it to low heat for 6 hours.
4. Follow steps 4 and 5 above.

Cooking Tips

• To get the chicken nicely browned, work in batches and don’t overcrowd the pan or the chicken will steam rather then brown.
• Cook the Tortellini separately and add it to the soup when you are serving it, rather then cooking it in the soup. The longer the pasta sits in the soup the more liquid it will absorb and you will end up with really big tortellini that are much too soft.

Recipe Variations

This chicken tortellini soup recipe is very easy to adapt to suit your tastes.

• If you don’t have time or if you have leftover chicken, go ahead and use that in place of starting with raw chicken. Rotisserie chicken is also a great alternative.
• Add other vegetables and make it really hearty. Green beans, fresh spinach, corn or peas are great options.
• Want it spicy? Add red pepper flakes to the onions, carrots and celery when you sauté the vegetables.
• If you want a creamy chicken tortellini soup, stir in a cup of heavy cream at the very end.
• For added flavor drop a parmesan cheese rind in the soup during the last 15 minutes of cooking.

What Can You Serve With Chicken Tortellini Soup?

If you are looking for something to serve with this hearty soup, a salad and a nice loaf of bread would be delicious. You might want to try my homemade bread or focaccia.

Storing Leftover Tortellini Soup

Leftover chicken tortellini soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days if sealed in an airtight container. To freeze the soup place it in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. I would recommend storing the tortellini separate from the soup to keep it from absorbing too much of the liquid.

Equipment that you will need

Cutting boards: I suggest that you have two cutting boards; one for preparing the raw chicken and one for cutting your vegetables. This way there is no chance of cross contamination.

Large Dutch Oven or a Sauce Pan: A 4-5 quart capacity pot will be large enough to hold the soup comfortably.

FAQ’s

Other Soups to try

Homemade Turkey Soup

Italian Red Onion Soup (Carabaccia)

Nonna’s Easy Italian Chicken Soup with Pastina

Easy Ground turkey Soup with Vegetables