Description
A steaming bowl of chicken tortellini soup with tender vegetables, cheese-filled tortellini, and shredded chicken in a clear, flavorful broth, garnished with fresh parsley!
Ingredients
For the Soup Base:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium onion, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped or sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 8 cups chicken broth
For the Hearty Additions:
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (rotisserie or leftovers)
- 2 (9 oz) packages refrigerated cheese tortellini
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
What I Actually Substitute:
- No rotisserie chicken? I cook chicken breasts right in the soup
- Any tortellini works – cheese, spinach, meat, whatever’s on sale
- Skip the parsley if you don’t have it, nobody will notice
Instructions
Heat olive oil in your pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers but doesn’t smoke. Add chopped onion and cook 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. They need to get soft and golden around the edges. Don’t rush even if kids are complaining about being hungry – this builds all your flavor.
I chop other vegetables while onions cook so I’m not just standing there stirring. Onions are ready when they look translucent and smell sweet instead of sharp. If they’re browning too fast, turn heat down. You want caramelized, not burned.
Add celery, carrots, garlic, and Italian seasoning to the pot. Stir everything together and cook about 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Your kitchen will smell like an Italian restaurant, which means you’re doing it right.
Garlic should smell good but not turn brown – burned garlic tastes bitter and ruins the whole pot. Vegetables will start softening and everything smells amazing. This is when I call everyone to the table because we’re fifteen minutes from eating.
Pour in all the chicken broth and bring to a boil – you’ll hear it bubbling hard and see big bubbles. Lower heat so it’s just gently simmering with small bubbles around the edges, not rolling boil.
Simmer 10 minutes until vegetables are fork-tender. I set the table and get bowls out now because the hard part is over. Test vegetables with a fork – should go through easily but not be falling apart.
This is the part where you have to pay attention. Add shredded chicken first, stir to warm it. Then add tortellini, keeping heat at gentle simmer, not hard boil. Tortellini sink first, then float when done, usually 3-4 minutes for fresh ones.
Don’t walk away because tortellini go from perfect to mushy in thirty seconds. I went to check mail once and came back to pasta soup instead of tortellini soup. Set a timer – it’s worth getting the texture right.
Turn off heat and taste the broth. Every broth brand is different – some are salty, others bland. Add salt and pepper as needed, tasting after each addition. You can always add more but can’t take it out.
Ladle into bowls, sprinkle parsley on top if you have it. Parsley adds fresh flavor that brightens everything up, not just looks. Serve right away while it’s hot. Soup is best immediately but leftovers are good if stored right.
Notes
Watch tortellini like a hawk – they go from perfect to mush in thirty seconds and there’s no fixing overcooked pasta. I set timers now after ruining too many pots
Room temperature chicken shreds easier than cold chicken from the fridge. If I forget to take it out, I microwave thirty seconds to warm it up
Cut vegetables the same size so they cook evenly. Crunchy carrots with mushy celery ruins soup texture
Taste broth before adding salt – some brands are really salty, others need help. I taste plain broth first so I know what I’m working with
Double recipes need bigger pots than you think. I boiled soup all over my stove once and spent an hour scraping crusty tortellini off burners
Keep heat medium or medium-high through most cooking. Too high burns everything, too low doesn’t develop flavors
Don’t add tortellini until you’re almost ready to serve – they keep cooking even after you turn off heat
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American