Golden Chicken Tortellini Soup Recipe (35 Minutes)

Name: The Easy Tortellini Soup I Make as Soon as the Weather Turns Cold
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 medium carrots, cut into medium dice (about 1 cup); 1 small zucchini, cut into medium dice (about 1 cup); 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced (about 1 cup); 1 cup diced yellow onion (about 1/2 of a medium onion); 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped or pressed; 4 cups chicken stock; 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Soup Base (or 2 chicken bouillon cubes); 1 cup packed shredded rotisserie chicken breast; 2 cups frozen cheese tortellini (or more if desired)

A pot of chicken tortellini soup with vegetables with a ladle scooping a serving — Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

Rotisserie chicken and frozen tortellini make this soup both quick and satisfying.
Blending some of the vegetables gives the soup a thicker texture and golden color.
The soup is ready in just 35 minutes and leftovers keep well in the fridge or freezer, so it’s perfect for meal prep or busy nights.

I created this recipe on a cold Sunday in January, when my husband and I decided we needed some home-cooked food to enjoy while watching football instead of ordering pizza again. My husband is only a fan of soup if it’s hearty enough to be a meal, and since I had rotisserie chicken and tortellini on hand already, I knew I could whip up something delicious. In about half an hour, we were sitting on the couch with cups of warm, filling soup and yelling at the TV.

This recipe combines classic flavors and cooking techniques with easy ingredients. The final product is a soup that’s simple to make, but will keep you satisfied AND get a good helping of vegetables into your day too. Whether you’re fighting off a cold or just looking for a cozy recipe on a chilly day, this soup delivers.

Two bowls of chicken tortellini soup with spoons containing pasta shredded chicken and diced vegetables — Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

The Main Ingredients

I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it—I’m a huge fan of Costco rotisserie chicken. You can’t beat how tender and juicy they are for just $5! The best tools we have in the kitchen are clean hands, so don’t be afraid to shred the chicken breast with your hands. It’s fast and easy and you can control how thick the shreds are. In this soup, I prefer them to be a little thicker.

As for the tortellini, I’m a “store-brand” girl at heart, so I love the store-brand frozen cheese tortellini from Stop & Shop and the Market Pantry frozen cheese tortellini from Target. The best thing about this recipe is that any frozen tortellini will work!

I use the roasted chicken-flavored Better Than Bouillon in this recipe to add deep flavor to this soup and give it a little golden color, but you can use any chicken bouillon you have on hand. The first time I made this recipe, I used a bouillon cube and it worked just as well.

Making This Recipe Even Simpler

There are a few ways you could make this easy recipe even easier. Lots of grocery stores sell diced carrots, onion, and celery during the colder months. This aromatic veggie combo, called mirepoix, is the base of tons of great soup recipes. If you can find these ingredients already chopped up and packaged in your local grocery store, you can cut down on prep time.

Skipping the blending portion of this recipe will absolutely make this recipe easier. The soup will not turn out quite as golden if you don’t blend it, but it will certainly cut a few minutes from your prep time.

A bowl of chicken tortellini soup with vegetables served alongside crackers on a plate — Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

More Cozy and Quick Meals To Love

Golden Chicken Tortellini Soup

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 35 mins

Servings 4 servings

Keep Screen Awake

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium carrots, cut into medium dice (about 1 cup)
1 small zucchini, cut into medium dice (about 1 cup)
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1/2 of a medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped or pressed
4 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Soup Base (or 2 chicken bouillon cubes)
1 cup packed shredded rotisserie chicken breast
2 cups frozen cheese tortellini (or more if desired)

Sauté the vegetables:

Add the olive oil to a large pot and set it on the stove over medium heat. Add the carrot, zucchini, celery, onion, and garlic and turn the heat up to medium-high. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender and very lightly browned, about 7 minutes.
Add the stock, water, and bouillon:

Add the chicken stock and 2 cups water to the pot and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, stir in the chicken bouillon. Once dissolved, taste the soup. If it needs more flavor, add more chicken bouillon, half a teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired flavor level.
Blend part of the soup (optional):

Submerge an immersion blender in the soup and blend 1/4 to 1/2 of the vegetables. Alternatively, transfer about a cup of soup and vegetables to a regular blender or bullet blender and blend until smooth. Add the blended soup back to the pot and stir.
Add the chicken and tortellini:

Add the shredded chicken and frozen tortellini to the soup and let the soup simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes, reducing the heat as needed. If you’d like to add more tortellini or more shredded chicken, do so in this step. Serve hot.

Refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, ladle a serving into a pot and warm over medium-low heat on the stove. It also reheats well in the microwave. If reheating from frozen, allow the soup to thaw completely, then reheat using the stove or microwave.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
477	Calories
19g	Fat
47g	Carbs
31g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	477
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g	24%
Saturated Fat 5g	25%
Cholesterol 84mg	28%
Sodium 1063mg	46%
Total Carbohydrate 47g	17%
Dietary Fiber 5g	17%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 31g
Vitamin C 14mg	71%
Calcium 160mg	12%
Iron 2mg	14%
Potassium 916mg	19%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.