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Chicken Tortellini Soup

Chicken tortellini soup with a golden herb broth and tender cheese tortellini, finished with shredded chicken, wilted spinach, and parmesan. A quick Italian-American one-pot meal that’s ready in under an hour with simple sauté-to-simmer steps.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken Tortellini Soup
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast Cooked and shredded
  • 20 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini
  • 3 cup baby spinach
  • 3 carrots Sliced
  • 1 onion Diced
  • 4 garlic Minced
  • 6 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 Parmesan For serving
  • 1 fresh basil For serving
  • 1 salt To taste
  • 1 pepper To taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté the vegetables
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then sauté the onion and carrots for 5 minutes, stirring until glossy and slightly softened.
Bloom the herbs
  1. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and dried basil to the pot and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly so the garlic smells fragrant without browning.
Build the broth base
  1. Pour in the chicken broth and bring it to a boil, stirring to combine and dissolve any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Cook the tortellini
  1. Add the cheese tortellini and cook for 4-5 minutes until just tender, watching for them to float and the filling to be hot.
Finish with chicken and spinach
  1. Stir in the shredded chicken and baby spinach, then cook for 2-3 minutes until the spinach wilts and the soup is evenly heated.
Season and serve
  1. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve hot with generous parmesan shavings and fresh basil on top.

Notes

For the best texture, cook tortellini until just tender—overcooking can make them mushy in the broth. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stove until hot. Freezing is not recommended because refrigerated tortellini often softens after thawing. If you want a lighter option, use low-sodium chicken broth and reduce the parmesan topping slightly.