CREAMY CHICKEN TORTELLINI SOUP

Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup

On a cold and blustery winter night, it's good to have a bowl of creamy and flavorful soup to calm the savage beasts.  And if you are a fan of Olive Garden's Chicken Gnocchi Soup, you are going to LOVE this Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup!  Saucy and loaded with tender chicken and pillowy cheese-filled tortellini, this will be your new favorite soup!

​I've made this recipe with both fresh gnocchi and fresh three or four cheese tortellini, and hands-down, everyone LOVES the fresh cheese tortellini the best.  The smooth and delicate cheese filling is just perfect in this flavorful herb-infused creamy chicken broth.  

Creamy Chicken & Cheese Tortellini Soup

This recipe makes a BIG pot of soup, but you'll be glad.  Enough for dinner, but also enough for some lunches.  And you'll need to tuck it away in a secret spot if you hope to score some at the end of the day - every time I make this is just disappears!

​We may look back at the winter of 2018 as the winter that never ends.  But as long as you have some hearty and wonderful soup to tide you over, no one is complaining!

I love that I can sneak so many vegetables into this too.  Carrots, spinach, onions, celery...just load 'em up with healthy stuff every chance you get!  If you use rotisserie chicken, this is even quick enough to cook for a fast family dinner.  In a pinch, you could also substitute frozen carrots in place of cutting up matchstick carrots.  

​So comforting, so hearty, so flavorful - you are going to love this one!  Perfect with a big chunk of dunkable crusty bread.  

Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup

CREAMY CHICKEN TORTELLINI SOUP

On a cold and blustery winter night, it's good to have a bowl of creamy and flavorful soup to calm the savage beasts.  And if you are a fan of Olive Garden's Chicken Gnocchi Soup, you are going to LOVE this Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup!  Saucy and loaded with tender chicken and pillowy cheese-filled tortellini, this will be your new favorite soup!

Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup

​INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion (1-1/2 cups diced)
1 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons butter
4-6 garlic cloves (minced)
1/3 cup flour
6 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 bay leaves
Salt & pepper (to taste)
 
2 cups matchstick carrots
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken or diced roast chicken
1 (10-oz.) pkg. frozen baby spinach (thawed & drained)
1 (16 oz.) pkg. fresh cheese tortellini
3 cups half & half
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
 
HOW I MAKE THIS:

1. In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add onions and celery and saute until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.  Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute (it will be thick).
2. Turn heat to low and gradually whisk in chicken broth.  Stir in all herbs and spices. 
3. Increase heat and bring soup to a boil, then reduce to simmer.  Simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Add matchstick carrots and continue simmering for 10 minutes. 
5. Add shredded chicken, spinach and fresh cheese tortellini, lasagna noodles and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes (the noodles WILL sink to the bottom of your pan, so make sure to stir from the bottom frequently so that the noodles don’t stick to the bottom of your pan). 
6. Turn heat to low, discard bay leaves and stir in half and half.  Stir in 1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.  If the soup is too “thick” for your taste, add additional chicken broth or half & half to reach your desired consistency.  Serve hot!

YIELD:  8-10 servings

Originally posted March 2014; Revised & reposted April 2018.

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