The Ultimate Cosy Kitchen Chicken Spinach Tortellini Soup

Cosy Chicken Tortellini Soup

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Preparation time:20 Mins

Cooking time:35 Mins

Servings:6 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 medium Yellow Onion, diced
• 2 medium Carrots, diced
• 2 Celery stalks, diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Dried Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon Dried Thyme
• 2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
• 6 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 2 cups Water
• 1 large Bay Leaf
• 3 cups cooked, shredded Chicken
• 1 (9 oz / 250g) package Cheese Tortellini (Refrigerated or Frozen)
• 5 ounces Fresh Baby Spinach
• Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
• Fresh Parsley, chopped (for garnish)
• Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese (for serving)

Instructions:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté gently until softened, about 6–8 minutes.
• Add minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and thyme. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 1 minute to lightly toast.
• Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and water, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a rolling simmer.
• Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 10 minutes to allow the vegetables to soften fully. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
• Stir in the shredded cooked chicken and the tortellini. Return the soup to a simmer and cook according to tortellini package directions (usually 3–5 minutes) until the pasta is tender.
• Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the fresh baby spinach in batches until it wilts completely using the residual heat.
• Taste the soup and adjust seasoning, adding salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.
• Ladle the hot Chicken Tortellini Soup into bowls. Garnish generously with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Calories:1852 kcal

Protein:20.1 g

Fat:34.0 g

Carbs:109.0 g

Fiber:28.2 g

Sugar:0.0 g

Sodium:585 mg

Recipe Info

Category:Soup

Cuisine:Italian-American

Beyond the Bland: Why This Chicken Tortellini Soup Is Your New Comfort Food Champion

Forget those watery, bland versions you might have tried before. This recipe for Chicken Tortellini Soup is the ticket to true culinary contentment! We are building a deeply flavourful, aromatic chicken broth base—using simple pantry staples and fresh aromatics—then loading it up with tender shredded chicken, plump cheesy tortellini, and vibrant greens. It’s hearty enough for a satisfying main course, yet tastes remarkably like it simmered all day, but comes together in under an hour. This is the pinnacle of Italian-American home cooking, designed for maximum comfort with minimum fuss. If you are searching for the Best Chicken Tortellini Soup , you’ve landed exactly where you need to be, as this is one of those quintessential Comfort Food Chicken Soup dishes ready when you need it most.

The Anatomy of a Perfect Broth: Unlocking Next-Level Flavour

The foundation of any great soup is its liquid, and for this Chicken Tortellini Soup Recipe , we refuse to use boring, one-note broth. We dedicate a few extra moments at the start to ensure every sip delivers warmth and depth, making this feel far more luxurious than an Easy Chicken Tortellini Soup typically implies.

The Secret to Deep, Savoury Base Notes

Our flavour journey begins not with liquid, but with solids. We take humble, sturdy vegetables—onion, carrot, and celery, the classic soffritto —and gently coax out their inherent sweetness and savouriness in olive oil. This slow softening process ensures they release their aromatic compounds into the fat, creating the first layer of deliciousness. Crucially, we introduce dried herbs, like Italian seasoning and thyme, to this hot oil mixture, allowing them to "bloom." Blooming spices intensifies their flavour profile dramatically before they ever meet the simmering liquid. A brief addition of flour here helps create a light roux , ensuring the final broth has a velvety texture rather than a thin, watery consistency.

Elevating the Humble Chicken Tortellini Soup Experience

While the base vegetables build depth, the final freshness comes from the additions. We use high-quality, low-sodium chicken broth mixed with water to ensure we control the final salt levels. A single, large bay leaf lends a subtle, earthy background note that ties the entire profile together. This methodical layering of flavour ensures that even though this is a Quick Chicken Tortellini Soup , the resulting taste profile rivals anything slow-cooked for hours.

Quick Comfort: Ready When You Are

We understand that sometimes you need that hearty bowl fast. While this recipe shines as a stove-top wonder, its fundamental structure is also perfect for adaptation into a Chicken Tortellini Soup Slow Cooker method (where you’d sauté first and then cook low and slow) or a streamlined Chicken Tortellini Soup Instant Pot version. However, for the fastest results, the stovetop method outlined here gets you from prep to table in just about 55 minutes.

Assembling Your Aromatic Arsenal: Ingredient Breakdown

To create this superior soup, we focus on quality components that work harmoniously. You'll need a minimum of 6 cups of liquid, 3 cups of perfectly cooked chicken, and one standard package of quality tortellini.

The Chicken & Tortellini Duo: Choosing the Right Fillings

For the chicken, efficiency is key. Shredded meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken is the ultimate time-saver and adds a subtle complexity from the initial roasting process. Alternatively, you can quickly poach boneless, skinless chicken breasts in water seasoned with salt and pepper until cooked through (about 15 minutes), then shred. For the pasta, choose refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini; they hold up beautifully to simmering without dissolving immediately.

Fresh Produce Power: Veggies That Bring the Crunch and Colour

The aromatic trio of onion, carrot, and celery are non-negotiable for building the base flavour, diced small so they integrate seamlessly into the broth. For brightness and final nutrition, we incorporate a substantial amount of fresh baby spinach at the very end. This makes our creation a true Chicken Tortellini Soup with Spinach , delivering those essential green nutrients without turning mushy.

Pantry Staples for Unbeatable Broth Depth

Beyond the broth itself, ensure you have potent dried herbs—Italian seasoning and thyme—along with garlic. Do not substitute dried garlic powder for fresh minced cloves; the flavour difference is staggering in a broth-forward soup like this. Salt and freshly ground black pepper are vital for that final calibration.

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Crafting the Golden Broth: Step-by-Step Mastery

The cooking process is designed to be intuitive and fast, yet technically sound, ensuring a beautiful final product.

Sautéing Aromatics for Maximum Impact

Begin by warming two tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Introduce one medium diced yellow onion, two diced carrots, and two diced celery stalks. Allow these to cook gently for about six to eight minutes, stirring occasionally, until they soften beautifully—we are aiming for translucent, not browned. Next, stir in four cloves of minced garlic, one teaspoon of Italian seasoning, and half a teaspoon of dried thyme. Cook this fragrant mixture for just one minute until the aromas really lift from the pot. If you’re opting for a slightly thicker body, sprinkle in two tablespoons of flour now and stir continuously for sixty seconds.

Shredding Chicken Like a Pro

While the vegetables are softening, ensure your three cups of cooked chicken are shredded or diced into bite-sized pieces, ready to be introduced later. This preparation step is part of the initial 20 minutes of active prep time.

When to Introduce the Delicate Tortellini

With the aromatics bloomed, slowly whisk in six cups of chicken broth and two cups of water, making sure to scrape any flavourful bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add your bay leaf, bring the mixture to a full simmer, then reduce the heat and let it gently bubble for ten minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Now, stir in your pre-shredded chicken and the 9-ounce package of tortellini. Cook according to the pasta’s package instructions, usually three to five minutes, until they float and are perfectly tender.

The Crucial Seasoning Check Before Serving

The moment the pasta is done, you must taste! Remove the pot from the heat entirely. Stir in the five ounces of fresh baby spinach; the residual heat will wilt it perfectly within moments. This is your final moment to adjust the seasoning. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper until the soup sings.

Making This Recipe Your Own: Delicious Variations

While this traditional preparation is spectacular, the versatility of this Chicken Tortellini Soup allows for wonderful customisations to suit any palate or dietary need.

Creamy Swaps and Dairy-Free Options for This Chicken Tortellini Soup

For those craving a richer, almost Tuscan-style texture, you can transform this into a Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup . After the spinach has wilted (Step 6), remove the pot from the heat and slowly stir in half a cup of heavy cream or half-and-half. Reheat very gently; do not let it boil once cream is added. For dairy-free versions, simply omit the cream and consider adding a splash of full-fat canned coconut milk for richness, or stick to the broth base entirely, which remains delicious.

Adding Heat and Herbaceous Twists

If you enjoy a bit of spice with your comfort food, sprinkle in half a teaspoon of red pepper flakes alongside the dried herbs in the initial sauté. For an added layer of herbaceous brightness right at the end, try stirring in a tablespoon of fresh lemon zest along with the spinach.

Freezing Instructions: Preserving Peak Freshness

If you find yourself with leftovers, this soup freezes well, with one caveat: the tortellini. For the best texture, freeze the soup before adding the pasta. Cool the broth, chicken, and vegetable base completely, transfer to an airtight freezer container, and freeze for up to three months. When reheating, bring the broth mixture to a boil, then add fresh, uncooked tortellini and cook directly in the reheated soup.

Nutritional Snapshot: Fueling Your Day

This iteration of Chicken Tortellini Soup strikes a wonderful balance, offering substantial protein from the chicken and carbohydrates from the pasta to fuel you through the day. Depending on your broth and tortellini filling choices, you can expect a satisfying 400–450 calories per generous serving, packed with vitamins from the ample vegetables.

Storage Secrets for Day-After Flavour

Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. The broth will naturally thicken overnight as the starches from the flour and pasta absorb moisture, which is usually a positive sign for flavour concentration! If the soup seems too thick upon reheating, simply add a splash or two of fresh chicken broth or water until you reach your preferred consistency.

To serve, reheat gently on the stove, garnish with fresh parsley and plenty of freshly grated Parmesan cheese—because no bowl of this incredible Chicken Tortellini Soup is complete without that salty, nutty finish. Enjoy this truly comforting bowl!