Name: Chicken Tortellini Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 7 cups chicken broth; 1 (2-inch) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind (optional); 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts; 2 carrots, (peeled and thinly sliced into coins); 2 stalks celery, (thinly sliced); 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning; 8 ounces fresh spinach tortellini; 2 cups baby greens ((baby kale, spinach, or Swiss chard)); Salt, (to taste); Freshly-ground black pepper; 1/2 cup Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

A hearty chicken tortellini soup loaded with vegetables, chicken, and tortellini that you can have ready in just 40 minutes!

Chicken tortellini soup topped with grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese in a bowl with a spoon. Next to this is a block of the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and a cheese grater.

This hearty chicken tortellini soup recipe was inspired by tortellini en brodo, the Northern Italian soup that’s the very definition of simplicity. The original is just rich broth with fresh tortellini bobbing in it. To bulk it up and make it more nutritious, I’ve added chicken breast, which stays moist and tender with a very gentle poach in the broth, plus fistfuls of fresh vegetables to make it a filling but light weeknight meal.

I start with a base of carrot, celery, and onion, but the recipe is flexible enough that you can add some seasonal vegetables according to what you have on hand. The result is great all year long. I always finish the soup with a handful of baby greens; the tender leaves wilt in seconds in the hot broth. It’s a cozy, satisfying meal that you can make in one pot and just about 40 minutes, half of which is hands-off time!

Table of Contents

Chicken Tortellini Soup Ingredients
How to Make Chicken Tortellini Soup
Make it Your Own
What To Serve With Chicken Tortellini Soup
More Chicken Soup Recipes:
Chicken Tortellini Soup Recipe

Ingredients for the chicken tortellini soup recipe including tortellini, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind, chicken breast, carrots, celery, baby spinach, salt, pepper, and grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Chicken Tortellini Soup Ingredients

This soup is quite simple, so every ingredient should be of the highest quality, and chicken broth is the most important for overall flavor. The basic recipe for this soup is simple and adaptable. Missing something from this list? As long as you start with good broth or stock, everything else is optional!

Chicken stock: Use homemade stock or broth or opt for a top-quality low-sodium store-bought option.
Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (optional): The secret weapon of Italian nonnas everywhere is the hard rind of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Adding it to this recipe (and our pastina, too) infuses the broth with umami flavor. Next time you use up a block of Parmigiano Reggiano, stash the rind in the fridge (or freezer)! It will last for at least 3 months. Though it will soften in the soup, it won’t dissolve, so you’ll remove it after poaching the chicken. No cheese rind in the house? Your tortellini chicken soup will still be delicious.
Chicken breast adds extra protein to the soup. Use smaller boneless, skinless chicken breasts so they poach gently and cook through quickly. You can also use chicken tenders.
Carrots: Thinly sliced carrots cook to sweet and tender perfection in the broth.
Celery: Thinly sliced celery adds texture and grassy flavor to the soup.
Italian seasoning: The blend of basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and sometimes marjoram adds sweet Italian vibes to the broth.
Fresh Tortellini: Choose fresh tortellini small enough to fit onto a spoon and eat in one bite. They cook right in the broth; no need to boil in a separate pot. I like spinach tortellini for this recipe, but you can use any filling you like. You can also substitute store-bought or homemade gnocchi!
Baby greens wilt into the soup in seconds, adding color and nutrition without any extra prep work. I buy boxed or bagged baby spinach, kale, or Swiss chard baby greens you get in the salad section of the produce department.
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper add oomph to the soup at the end.
Parmigiano-Reaggiano cheese: Finely grated on a zester, this nutty umami-rich cheese adds an explosion of Italian flavor.

The tortellini soup in a large pot with a ladle next to a small bowl of pepper.

How to Make Chicken Tortellini Soup

White meat chicken tends to get dry and cottony if it is boiled. To arrive at tender, moist chicken breast for this soup, I use a hands-off poaching method similar to this one. You simply add whole chicken breasts to the soup pot of boiling broth, cover it, and let it stand off the heat. The residual heat in the pot cooks the meat to juicy tender perfection in just 20 minutes. The vegetables and tortellini cook in the same broth—no sauteeing or par-boiling needed—which streamlines dinner nicely. Here’s how to tackle it.

Poach the chicken. Bring 7 cups chicken stock and 1 (2-inch long) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind, if using, to a boil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over high heat. Add 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cover, and immediately turn the burner off. Let the pot stand for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and an instant-read thermometer reads 165ºF. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and chop it into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Discard the cheese rind.
Add the vegetables. Add 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced into coins; 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced; and 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning to the pot. Simmer until vegetables are just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the tortellini. Next, add 8 ounces fresh tortellini to the pot, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook until the pasta is tender, 3 to 4 minutes or according to package instructions.
Stir in the chicken and greens. Reduce heat to low and stir the chicken and 2 cups baby spinach, baby kale, or baby Swiss chard. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens are just wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.
Finish and serve. Season the soup with salt and pepper, keeping in mind that the cheese sprinkled over the top of the soup is salty. Divide the soup among deep bowls and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and serve immediately.

Make it Your Own

This chicken tortellini soup recipe is hugely adaptable. Here are a few shortcuts and ways to add to it.

Make it creamy: Stir in a splash of half-and-half just before serving to make a creamy chicken tortellini soup.
Swap the protein: Use shredded rotisserie chicken, cooked turkey, or pre-cooked chicken sausage instead of poached chicken.
Make it vegetarian: Skip the chicken and use vegetable broth, then add extra tortellini and/or a rinsed and drained can of white beans or chickpeas to add extra fiber and protein.
Boost the flavor: Finish the soup with a few drops of extra virgin olive oil, chopped fresh herbs, or a drizzle of basil pesto or lemon pesto before serving.
Add seasonal veggies: Incorporate extra vegetables to suit the season. In winter, I add frozen peas or sliced mushrooms. In spring, the soup sings with chopped asparagus or fava beans. In summer, try tender green or wax beans, and maybe a few cherry tomatoes. In fall, try finely sliced delicata squash, zucchini, or corn shaved off the cob.

Chicken tortellini soup topped with grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese in a bowl with a spoon. Next to this is another bowl of the soup with a spoon, a glass of sparkling water, and a plate with crusty bread, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and a cheese grater.

What To Serve With Chicken Tortellini Soup

This soup is pretty filling and hearty, but there are some folks who see a soup meal as incomplete without a little bread to dunk into it. (Ahem, ME!)

I love to cut Rosemary Focaccia into breadstick shapes and serve it alongside this soup. If you crave more crunch, Crispy Sesame Breadsticks are a great add. And of course, there’s always garlic bread made with extra virgin olive oil instead of butter.