Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup

5 from 12 votes

Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup is a hearty, satisfying dinner with tender chicken, plenty of veggies, and cheesy tortellini in a rich broth.

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Total Time1

Course: Dinner, Soup

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup

Servings: servings

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $13.24

Equipment

2 Large pots
1 Medium pot

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
8 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
2 cups finely diced yellow onion 1 to 2 large onions
2 cups finely diced carrots (peeled) 5 to 7 carrots
1-1/3 cups finely diced celery 4 to 5 ribs
1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic 4 cloves
Salt and pepper
6 cups chicken stock or chicken broth (I like Swanson)
1/2 teaspoon of each: dried thyme garlic powder, onion powder, & Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder plus 2 tsp for tortellini water
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
16-18 ounces refrigerated Rana's tortellini see note 1
2-3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken I like to coarsely chop it into smaller bite-sized pieces

US - Metric

Instructions

Prep veggies: Very finely dice the onion, carrots, and celery. Mince the garlic.
Sauté veggies: Add olive oil and 2 tbsp butter to a large pot over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I add 1/2 tsp each). Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are very tender, about 12–15 minutes. Don’t rush this step (we want to give the veggies plenty of time to soften at the start so there are no crunchy pieces in the finished soup).
Add seasonings: Add the garlic, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and 1 tsp chicken bouillon. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
Simmer: Add the bay leaf and 4 cups chicken broth or stock. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender. Stir occasionally and adjust the heat as needed so the liquid is barely bubbling, not rapidly boiling.
Cook tortellini: While the soup simmers, bring 12 cups water to a boil in a separate pot. Season the water with 2 tsp chicken bouillon or salt, then add the tortellini. Cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Give the tortellini a gentle shake every few minutes so they don’t stick together.
Make cream mixture: About 5 minutes before the soup is finished simmering, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the butter and whisk briskly until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, for 1 full minute.
Add broth and milk: Very slowly pour in the remaining 2 cups chicken broth while whisking constantly. Once smooth, gradually pour in the evaporated milk, continuing to whisk. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is noticeably thickened and smooth (don't boil). Remove from the heat. Keep whisking until ready to add it to the soup so a film doesn’t form on top.
Finish soup: While whisking constantly, gradually pour the cream mixture into the soup. Cook, whisking occasionally, over medium-low heat until smooth and the broth thickens nicely. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Add chicken: Stir in the shredded chicken and cook for about 1 minute, just until warmed through. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
Serve: Divide cooked tortellini among bowls, then ladle the soup over top. Serve right away with warm, buttered crusty bread. Store the soup and tortellini separately so the pasta doesn’t soak up the broth.

Video

Notes

Note 1: I recommend using good-quality, fresh refrigerated tortellini. I love Rana tortellini. Cook the tortellini separately from the soup since different varieties require different cooking times. Keeping it separate also prevents the pasta from continuing to absorb the broth and becoming mushy, especially in leftovers.

Storage: Store the soup and cooked tortellini separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the soup gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of broth or milk if needed to loosen it. Reheat the tortellini separately or add it to the hot soup just long enough to warm through.

Nutrition