Quick Look: Chicken Tortellini Slow Cooker Soup
- Ready In: About 3½ hours on HIGH or 5½–6½ hours on LOW
- Serves: 8
- Main Ingredients: Cheese tortellini, veggies, chicken breasts, and Better Than Bouillon chicken base.
- Why You’ll Love It: Refrigerated cheese tortellini and a handful of kitchen staples come together in your slow cooker to make a cozy, flavor-packed soup. It’s perfect for a chilly weekend or a work-from-home day when you can let dinner cook while you go about your day!
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Why You’ll Make This Cozy
Chicken Tortellini Soup On Repeat
- Classic Flavors: Think homemade chicken noodle soup, but with a hit of cheesiness thanks to the cheese tortellini. It’s familiar enough to feel approachable and delicious enough that there won’t be any leftovers.
- Flavorful Broth: A little Better Than Bouillon chicken base adds so much depth of flavor to the broth! We actually tested a creamy version of this soup too, but preferred the classic broth-based version.
- Slow Cooker: I can’t emphasize enough how much I rely on my slow cooker to get dinner done while tackling my never-ending to-do list. This is a great recipe for a weekend or work-from-home day!
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Chicken Breast: We recommend 2 medium-to-large boneless, skinless chicken breasts. We also tested this with 3 chicken breasts, which worked great if you prefer a more chicken-heavy soup!
- Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base: This is the secret ingredient that takes this soup from good to great! It makes the broth more robust and adds so much depth of flavor. Keep the extra chicken base on hand to make broth for other recipes!
- Cheese Tortellini: Look for refrigerated cheese tortellini in the refrigerated pasta or specialty cheese section of your grocery store. We tested both 10 oz. and 20 oz. packages and found that 10 oz. gave us the perfect balance of pasta, chicken, and broth.
- Spinach: I think its mild flavor and pop of color make it worth adding to this soup! However, since there are already plenty of other veggies, feel free to leave it out if it’ll make this one a no-go for the kids.
How To Make Slow Cooker Chicken Tortellini Soup
Step 1 – Sauté the garlic, onion, carrots, and celery in a cast-iron skillet for 2–3 minutes, until fragrant and beginning to soften.
Step 2 – Transfer sautéed veggies into your slow cooker with all remaining ingredients except the tortellini and spinach.
Step 3 – Let cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3 hours.
Step 4 – Remove cooked chicken breasts to a cutting board or bowl and use two forks to shred the chicken.
Avoid Mushy Tortellini
The chicken and vegetables are pretty forgiving during the slow cooking process, but the tortellini is another story! Once you add the tortellini, pay attention to the cooking time so it doesn’t become mushy. Even if you’ve been cooking the soup on LOW, turn your slow cooker to HIGH before adding the tortellini and spinach. We found that this works best for cooking the pasta quickly without overcooking it.
Step 5 – Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker along with the tortellini and optional spinach. Turn the slow cooker to HIGH, cover, and cook for approximately 20–30 minutes, or until the tortellini is tender.
Step 6 – Enjoy immediately and serve with warm sourdough bread for the ultimate soup experience!
What We Learned During Testing
- Tortellini – We tested this recipe with both 10 oz. and 20 oz. of cheese tortellini. The larger quantity of tortellini overpowered the soup in both flavor and texture. The 10 oz. amount gave us the best balance and is what we’re recommending.
- Chicken – We tested with 2 medium chicken breasts (approximately 1.25 lbs.) and 3 medium chicken breasts (approximately 1.5 lbs.). Both worked well! We’re recommending 2 medium-to-large boneless chicken breasts, but you can absolutely add a third if you prefer a more chicken-heavy soup.
- Brothy vs. Creamy – We tested a creamy version and actually preferred the traditional broth-based soup! The flavors were just better without the cream. That said, if someone wants a little creaminess, they can certainly add a splash or two of heavy cream.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortellini Soup FAQ
No, we timed everything out so that the tortellini will cook during the last 20 minutes of cook-time in the slow cooker.
Yes! Prepare the soup through the step of cooking and shredding the chicken, but wait to add the tortellini and spinach until shortly before serving. If you’re planning to eat within the next hour or so, keep the soup on the WARM setting. When you’re almost ready to eat, turn the slow cooker to HIGH and add the tortellini and spinach. Cook for approximately 20–30 minutes, or until the tortellini is tender. This helps prevent mushy tortellini!
Storage & Reheating
– Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The tortellini will continue to absorb some of the broth as it sits, so the soup will thicken in the refrigerator.
– To reheat, add the soup to a saucepan over medium-low heat until warmed through. Add a splash or two of chicken broth as needed to reach your desired consistency.
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter, sub plant-based
- 1½ cups carrots, sliced (about 4 medium carrots)
- 1½ cups celery, sliced (about 3 stalks)
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- ½ tablespoon garlic, minced
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1.25 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ tablespoon Better than Bouillon Chicken
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 10 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 1-2 handfuls fresh spinach, ripped into pieces (sub fresh kale)
Instructions
- Sauté: Bring a large skillet to a medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons butter to melt. Add the sliced carrots, sliced celery, diced onion, and ½ tablespoon garlic. Season with a little salt and pepper and move around the pan to sauté for 2-3 minutes to soften.
- Slow Cooker: Transfer the softened veggies to a slow cooker and add 5 cups chicken broth, 1.25 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, ½ tablespoon Better than Bouillon Chicken, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, and ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper. Mix to combine and cover. Set the slow cooker to cook on HIGH for 3 hours or on LOW for 5-6 hours, ensuring chicken has reached an internal temp of 165℉.
- Tortellini + Spinach: Remove the fully cooked chicken from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker, mix, and add 10 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini and 1-2 handfuls fresh spinach (if using). Cover and cook on HIGH for another 20-30 minutes or until tortellini is tender.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into individual bowls and enjoy!
Notes
- Storage – Store leftover soup in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheating – Place leftovers in a sauce pan over medium-low heat uncovered for 5-10 minutes until the soup has heated through. The tortellini will soak up some of the broth while in the refrigerator, so feel free to add a few splashes of broth until you’ve reached your desired consistency.
- Make Ahead – Add the shredded chicken back to the slow cooker and then hold on adding the tortellini and spinach. If you’re cooking the soup on high, bring your crock pot down to low to keep the soup warm. Then 20 minutes from when you’re ready to eat, turn your slow cooker back to HIGH and add the tortellini and spinach. Let cook for 20 minutes or until tortellini is tender. Serve and enjoy!
- More Protein – This recipe calls for 2 chicken breasts, but three will absolutely work with no adjustments to any other ingredients.
- Make It Creamier – Add a few splashes of heavy cream once you’ve added the shredded chicken, tortellini, and optional spinach to make a creamier version of this soup.
- Optional Spinach – If greens aren’t your thing, simply omit the spinach.
- Serving Suggestions – Serve with warm sourdough bread, grilled bread or even some homemade garlic bread!
Bridget says
The whole family love it – thank you!