Easy Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup is a soul-warming bowl of goodness that blends the cozy flavors of traditional chicken soup with cheesy tortellini and a rich, velvety broth. Perfect for weeknight dinners, family meals, or anytime you’re craving the ultimate comfort food fix, this hearty one-pot chicken tortellini soup comes together in under an hour—and tastes like it’s been simmering all day.
Jump to:
- The Best Chicken Tortellini Soup Recipe
- Why You'll Love this Chicken Soup
- Ingredients
- The Back Story about this Tortellini Soup
- Easy Chicken Tortellini Soup - The Remedy for what Ails You
- How to Make Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Storage, Reheating & Freezing
- Tips & Tricks
- Here are Some Other Amazingly Delicious Soups for you to try:
- Creamy Tortellini Soup with Chicken Recipe
The Best Chicken Tortellini Soup Recipe
Don’t you just love a hearty comforting bowl of soup!!?
Yes!? Then we’re totally on the same page!
Try my Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup or Thai Red Curry Chicken Soup… after you make this one - they are all so slurpalicious!
Soup is like healing balm for whatever ails you. And that is exactly what I needed last week when I was down and out with a pretty bad head cold.
Yes - Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup to the rescue!
Why You'll Love this Chicken Soup
It's made in one-Pot so there's minimal cleanup. It's a complete meal that is creamy, hearty and filling thanks to the cream cheese, cheese tortellini, chicken and veggies.
This cozy soup is family-friendly and loved by kids and adults alike. And it's customizable... you can save time by using a rotisserie chicken, add more veggies like spiniach or kale, swap out the pasta for a different variety, omit the cream cheese for a lighter brothier version of the soup.
As you can tell it's packed with so many tasty and satisfying ingredients. Allow me to highlight some of them...
Ingredients
Onion, carrots, celery - adds flavor, texture and nutrition.
Garlic, thyme, parsley, bay leaves - these herbs and aromatics give it layers of savory flavor.
Chicken breasts, shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken - good lean protein and heartiness.
Chicken broth (homemade or store-bought) - a flavorful liquid base.
Cheese tortellini - adds cheesy and filling comfort.
Parmesan cheese, cream cheese - gives the soup a silky rich reamy texture.
The Back Story about this Tortellini Soup
We had some dear friends in town two weeks ago. All 5 of them! I really do love a full house with all my people.
There was Noah who is 5 years old… He is so brave, I think I calculated that he spent more time in the pool each day than he spent on dry land. Noah is a legit fish people!
He loves to help out and he’s especially good at cooking with his Aunt Holly. Interestingly enough his favorite food is crab legs and I think he ate 5 King Crab Legs in one setting all by himself. What can I say he’s got great taste and all kinds of mad skills.
Then there’s Landry… aka “Lando” (a new nickname her acquired during his visit). Landry is 3 years old, and oranges are his favorite food – he likes to peel them for himself but he needs you to start them for him.
He loves Nemo band aids and actually needs a lot of them – for real. He’s always moving fast trying to keep up with his big brother, so bumps and bruises are just part of the territory.
I think I counted 4 on him at the same time at one point. And he loves the idea of the pool but enjoys it mostly from the shallow end... for now.
Then there’s the sweet precious cherub Anna Grace… aka Chicakadee aka Love Nugget aka Pumpkin aka AG.
She turned 5 months old while visiting us... yes her mom is a boss for traveling with three kids under 5 including a newborn!
I almost don’t have words for this little one. She is sweet and smart and all smiles – except when she’s hungry – then get out the way!
Anna Grace LOVES watching her brothers play and being in the middle of the action. She also loves bath time and is more of a hot tub girl than a pool girl. I think she gets that from her dad.
She learned how to roll over while she was staying with us – to the right, to the right, but not the left just yet.
And of course there are the parents of these adorable kiddos… Jaime and Brian. We’ve been friends for a while now, but really I feel like we’re family.
They’re amazing parents, who can laugh at themselves and their kiddos, love Jesus with all their hearts and each other, and love us like family. We’re more than grateful for our crew.
We had so much fun while they were here… we swam in the pool (a lot), visited Sea World, ordered live lobsters and cooked them together, made some cool creations with playdough and Legos, spent some relaxing evenings in the hot tub, and made ‘smores in the chiminea… just so much fun!
Little Chickadee was teething while she was here and we think she may have had a bit of a cold, but she powered through like the princess warrior she is.
It didn’t matter to me - she could have had the plague and I would have cuddled her and smooched her the whole time. Wild horses couldn’t keep me away from that sweet girl.
And because of that, the day after they left, my nose was running off my face.
I went through a box of Kleenex a day, for 4 days straight. Not kidding. And I would do it all over again 100 times to hold that sweet precious cherub.
I knew exactly what needed to happen…. Yep: SOUP! And not just any soup – but chicken soup!
Easy Chicken Tortellini Soup - The Remedy for what Ails You
I mustered all the strength I could and pulled out some homemade chicken stock from the freezer, added onions, carrots, celery and some pulled rotisserie chicken, then threw in some 3-cheese tortellini, aka cheesy pockets of goodness from heaven – seriously! Have you tried them???
And that’s what I ate for lunch and dinner for the next 7 days straight. For. Real.
It was amazing. I never got tired of it – and those little purses of yumminess were like little cheesy gifts from God. Seriously - cheese tortellini is the bomb!
So here I am the following week, sharing this recipe with you because – how could I keep it to myself!? This could be just what you need for your own situation.
I admit, I tweaked it slightly because you know I can’t help myself. And my taste buds were not at their peak when I initially created this masterpiece.
So without further yammering, I give you… Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup!
It is soo satisfying! You know sometimes when you eat soup and then you’re hungry an hour later?
Yeah, this is not that kind of soup. This is hearty, sustaining, well-balanced deliciousness that you need to try stat.
Don’t even try to make it without the tortellini, because they’re like magic cheesy pasta bombs and you definitely don’t want to deny yourself of that – right!?
It’s got everything Chicken Noodle Soup has and more… those three cheese pasta filled pouches are truly everything… Mmmmmm! And a little cream cheese and Parmesan cheese in the chicken stock base to make it a lite-but-saucy cheesy pot of yumminess.
Basically a soft, warm, fuzzy hug in a bowl.
What can I say – I’m kind of addicted to it. (Let’s remember I did eat it for 7 days straight.)
Here’s how to make this tortellini soup recipe!
How to Make Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup
Saute the veggies. First, saute some onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper, in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat for 5 minutes.
Add herbs & seasonings. Next, stir in garlic, thyme and parsley and cook for 1 more minute.
Add the chicken & stock. Add the chicken stock and chicken breasts, place the lid on the pot and turn it to high heat until it boils. Turn down to a simmer with the lid cracked. (It took about 10 minutes to come to a boil.)
Cook the chicken for 15-20 minutes (until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees). Remove the chicken and allow it to cool on a plate.
Add cream cheese and pasta. Whisk in the cream cheese, add the pasta, and simmer. (Mine took 14 minutes to cook to al dente. Check your pasta package for your cook time.)
Shred the chicken. Meanwhile, shred the chicken breasts with two forks, and when the pasta finishes cooking add Parmesan cheese and fold the chicken back into the soup.
Finish with parlsey and Parmesan cheese! Top it all off with some chopped parsley and more Parmesan and devour it!
This hearty chicken tortellini soup is like soup nirvana my friend.
And as always you have options… skip the chicken cooking process and use store-bought rotisserie chicken or even better, if you have some of my homemade shredded chicken in the freezer use that. You’ll shave 20 minutes off your cook time and it will be just as delicious.
What can I say? I’m all about helping get dinner on the table as quickly as possible.
Storage, Reheating & Freezing
Refrigerate: Allow the soup to cool to room temperature. And store it in the fridge for up to 3–4 days in an airtight container.
Reheat: Gently on the stove; add extra broth if tortellini absorbs too much liquid.
Freeze: It's best to freeze without the tortellini. You can freeze the chicken soup up to 3 months. Cook fresh tortellini and combine when reheating.
Tips & Tricks
- Use a shredded rotisserie chicken to save time. Or even better, if you have some of my homemade shredded chicken in the freezer use that.
- If you’re like me, you have homemade chicken stock in your freezer. Use that instead of store bought – it will give the soup a rich and hearty flavor.
- You can substitute half-and-half for cream cheese or omit it all together if you want a light version of this tortellini soup.
- Add in more veggies like spinach or kale at the end for extra nutrition.
- Let the soup rest 5 minutes before serving so the flavors to blend.
- The longer the pasta sits in the soup, the more liquid it will soak up. So, you may need to add more stock to make it the consistency you’d like. It’s fine to add this at the end, after the soup has been cooked.
Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup – is hearty, cheesy, and ready in under an hour—perfect for busy weeknights or chilly weekends. It's a satisfying and delicious bowl of yumminess you’ll be making all season long.
Here are Some Other Amazingly Delicious Soups for you to try:
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Turkey Vegetable Soup
- Chicken Mushroom Soup (Low Carb)
- This Red Curry Chicken Soup
- Creamy White Chicken Chili Soup
- Spicy Italian White Bean and Sausage Soup
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you’ve made this Easy Chicken Tortellini Soup, tap the stars below to leave a rating and let us know how it turned out in the comments!
Creamy Tortellini Soup with Chicken Recipe
A comforting and hearty bowl of warm cheesy goodness!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 large carrots, halved and sliced
- 3 stalks celery sliced
- 2½ pounds bone-in chicken breasts, or use rotisserie chicken meat pulled from the bone. *See note below.
- 6 large garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped thyme
- ⅓ cup chopped parsley, more for garnish
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 cups chicken broth (use 6 cups of stock if using a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, add more toward the end if needed. *See note below.)
- 12 ounces dried cheese tortellini
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 4 ounces cream cheese
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in garlic, thyme, parsley, & bay leaves, and cook for 1 more minute. Add in the chicken stock and chicken breasts, place the lid on the pot, turn to high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down to a simmer and crack the lid. (It will take about 10 minutes to come to a boil.)
- Cook for 15-20 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove the chicken and allow to cool on a plate.(*See note below).
- Whisk in the cream cheese. Then add the tortellini pasta, bring to a simmer, and cook to package instructions (my dried pasta took 14 minutes to cook).
- Meanwhile shred the cooked chicken breasts with two forks. When pasta is finished cooking add Parmesan cheese and the chicken back into the soup.
- Serve with chopped parsley and more Parmesan if desired.
Notes
- The longer the pasta sits in the soup, the more liquid it will soak up. So, you may need to add more stock to make it the consistency you’d like. It’s fine to add this at the end, after the soup has been cooked.
- For the same reason, when reheating the soup you may need to add a little water or stock since the noodles absorb some of the liquid while sitting in the refrigerator.
- If you use precooked rotisserie chicken you can skip step 3 above. Just shred the chicken and fold in at the end, as specified in step 5. Also, since the liquid won’t have as much time to cook and evaporate you will not need as much stock for this version. I recommend starting with 6 cups and adding more toward the end if desired.
- The serving size used in the nutrition info is 15 ounces, however you may have slightly more or less depending on how much broth evaporates while you are cooking the soup.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
15 ouncesAmount Per Serving Calories 469Total Fat 19gSaturated Fat 6gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 136mgSodium 489mgCarbohydrates 31gFiber 3gSugar 4gProtein 40g
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you’ve made this Easy Chicken Tortellini Soup, tap the stars above to leave a rating and let us know how it turned out in the comments!
Lindsey
Can’t wait to make this! Any recommendations on when to add in frozen tortellini ?
Holly Sander
Hello Lindsey, if you scroll down to the bottom of the page you will find the ingredient and recipe card! Adding the tortellini's is step 4!
Sarah
I love this recipe, but you never mention the bay leaves in your instructions and you don’t say whether the thyme and parsley are fresh or dried. Can you specify? Also what is your serving size in oz?
Bryan
Hi Sarah! The herbs are fresh, and should be added along with the bay leaves just after you cook the veggies. Also depending on how much liquid evaporates while cooking, a serving should be between 12-15 ounces. Enjoy!
Linda
That sounds like an eventful weekend for all. Love seeing adorable baby AG here. And this chicken soup sounds so comforting and delicious. I've been into soup season lately and this goes to the must-make list.
Holly Sander
Hi Linda, we had so much fun! AG is too cute - I can't stop staring at her! This soup is pretty delicious - I hope you try it and enjoy it as much as I do.