Easy Recipe for One Pot Tortellini Soup with Chicken

Easy Recipe for One Pot Tortellini Soup with Chicken

The cold winter weather and long, dark nights call for something hearty, warm, and soothing. This one pot tortellini soup with chicken is a hearty soup that will warm you up from the inside out on a cold day. Best of all this is a truly easy meal for busy weeknights. And with hearty ingredients and warm broth, it will be the ultimate comfort food  for you and the family all winter long. Pair it with some crusty bread – or even garlic bread – for a full meal. 

Why You Should Give This Recipe a Try

As someone who doesn’t love soup, I have to say that this easy recipe for one pot tortellini soup with chicken has become one of my favorite meals. It is an absolutely delicious soup bursting with great flavor from very simple ingredients: fresh cheese tortellini, Italian seasoning, carrots, onion, rotisserie chicken, and chicken broth.

The best part of this recipe is the way it comes together so quickly and easily. It is perfect for beginner cooks and the results are so much better than grocery store soup in a can. The ingredients are fresher and are under your control – no weird chemicals or excessive sodium.

Simply sauté onions, carrots, and spices, pour in broth, and add shredded rotisserie chicken and fresh cheese tortellini. If you are trying to increase your intake of fresh vegetables, you can toss in some fresh spinach right at the end. This is a truly easy dinner recipe that the whole family will enjoy on a chilly night. 

And who doesn’t love one pot meals? Use a Dutch oven or a large soup pot and that’s it!

Recipe Ingredients

3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (or 1 lb chicken breast)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 medium onion

3 carrots

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp basil

10 oz fresh tortellini

1 cup fresh spinach (optional)

8 cups low sodium chicken broth

Salt

Ingredient Notes

Can’t find a rotisserie chicken at your supermarket? You can replace it with one pound of thin-sliced chicken breast, sautéed and shredded. See Tips & Tricks for directions.

Fresh tortellini works really well in this recipe as it only takes about four minutes to cook. You can use frozen tortellini if that’s all you have on hand, but remember to adjust your cooking time.

If you are looking to increase your vegetable intake, you can add a cup or so of fresh spinach at the end. I generally use baby spinach.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Shred 3 cups of rotisserie chicken and set aside.

2. Chop one small onion or 1/2 of a medium onion and set aside.

3. Peel the carrots and chop them. Set aside. See Tips & Tricks for helpful directions on how to chop the carrots.

4. Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium-high heat. 

5. Carefully add the onion to the olive oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent.

6. When the onions are ready, add the carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes. They will still be fairly firm.

7. Add the herbs and, stirring continually, cook for 1 minute.

8. Carefully add the chicken broth. Stir and cover allowing it to come to a boil.

9. Add the shredded chicken.

10. Add the tortellini and cook for the time recommended on the package, usually about four minutes. Lower the heat to a vigorous simmer as opposed to a rolling boil. If the soup boils too aggressively, you will lose the filling of the tortellini.

11. Once the tortellini is nearing completion, you can drop in spinach if using. It is cooked when the leaves are completely wilted.

12. Salt to taste.

Storage

Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. 

It can be reheated in the microwave or in a pot over medium-high heat. Make sure it is heated through before serving.

Tips & Tricks

If you can’t find a rotisserie chicken at the supermarket, you can replace it with sautéed chicken breast. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Carefully add the chicken into the heated oil and sauté until lightly browned and cooked all the way through.

While I prefer the taste of sautéed chicken, you can poach the chicken as well. Place the chicken in a deep frying pan and add just enough water to barely cover the meat. Poach over medium-high heat until cooked through. Make sure the water does not evaporate during the cooking process.

Once the chicken is cooked using either of these methods, remove it to a cutting board to cool for a few minutes. I usually cut the sautéed chicken into thin strips. Poached chicken is easily shredded using two forks. 

Be sure to refrigerate the chicken if you are not going to use it right away.

Whenever you are making one pot meals, prepare your ingredients in advance. Things move really quickly and you don’t want to have to pause to cut or peel your veggies.

When chopping carrots, I cut them into rounds, lay the rounds on the cutting board, and carefully cut them smaller pieces. I like to leave the tip of my knife on the board and just lift up by the handle, gently moving the blade along the rounds.

FAQs

How can I make this a vegetarian soup?

You can make this a vegetarian meal by eliminating the chicken and replacing the chicken broth with vegetable broth. 

Can I use fresh herbs instead of dried?

You can use fresh herbs instead of dry using a ratio of 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon of dried herbs.

What sides can you serve with this soup?

Crusty bread and garlic bread are both great sides. You can also serve a simple green salad to round things out.

While you’re cooking things, why not make this super easy bread? https://goodenoughkitchen.com/crusty-country-french-bread/