Skip to content
RecipesWhipped Up

Italian

Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup

Chicken thighs simmer to 165°F in broth with carrots, then cream, tortellini, and spinach go in. Parmesan is stirred off a hard boil so it melts smooth.

Prep
15 min
Cook
30 min
Total
45 min
Servings
6
Difficulty
Easy
Jump to recipe
Bowl of creamy soup with cheese tortellini, chicken, and spinach

Why you’ll love it

  • Thighs stay tender after they hit 165°F in a simmer.
  • Tortellini cook in the soup, so there is no extra pot.
  • Cream goes in after the broth reduces a little.
  • Spinach and Parmesan finish the bowl without more cooking time.

Ingredients

Servings6

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

View list

Check the ingredients you still need, then add them. If nothing is checked, the full list is added. Saved on this device.

Instructions

  1. 1

    Pat the chicken dry. Do not rinse it. Cut it into bite-size pieces and season with salt and pepper.

  2. 2

    Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Cook the chicken until browned and the pieces reach 165°F, about 6 minutes. Remove it.

  3. 3

    Cook the onion and carrot in the pot until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook 30 seconds.

  4. 4

    Pour in the broth and simmer 8 minutes.

  5. 5

    Stir in the cream and tortellini. Simmer until the tortellini are tender, about 4 minutes.

  6. 6

    Return the chicken, add the spinach and Parmesan, and stir until the spinach wilts and the chicken is still at least 165°F.

  7. 7

    Serve hot.

Pro tips

  • Cut the thighs into even pieces so they all reach 165°F together.
  • Do not boil the soup hard after the cheese goes in.
  • If the tortellini are frozen, add 2 extra minutes.

Easy substitutions

chicken thighs
chicken breast, still cooked to 165°F
cheese tortellini
spinach tortellini
heavy cream
half-and-half

Storage and reheating

Storage

Refrigerate in a covered container up to 3 days.

Reheating

Warm on the stovetop until the chicken reaches 165°F, adding broth if the pasta has thickened the soup.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
488
Protein
32 g
Carbs
36 g
Fat
24 g
Fiber
2 g

Moderate · Stovetop, One Pan · High Protein

You might also like

Still hungry?

More in the same lane, not a random mix.

Find something else

One-Pot MealsComfort FoodSlow CookerBudget Meals

From the kitchen

Kitchen tools we love

Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.

  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

    Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.

  • An air fryer with a real basket

    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

    Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.

  • A sharp chef’s knife

    These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.

  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

Read the affiliate disclosure.

Ingredients