Cozy, creamy and cheesy, this Chicken and Cheese Tortellini Soup is crazy good and so easy to make. Full of flavor and loaded with cheese filled tortellini, chicken, and vegetables. Aside from the tortellini, everything is cooked in just one pot in only 35 minutes! Serve with warm, crusty bread smeared with lots of butter. You'll be craving this one!
This post is sponsored by Go Bold With Butter, who I am so excited to partner with! The recipe and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Butter - the one food in my kitchen that I use/eat literally every single day. Because who doesn't love real butter?! It usually makes it into just about every meal of mine. Heck, I even put it in my morning coffee! If you haven't tried, do it! About ½ - 1 teaspoon makes it so creamy!
I know this Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup definitely wouldn't be the same without it. Real butter is so versatile and adds incredible flavor and creaminess that can't get from any other ingredient. This soup is AMAZING!
And don't just take my word for it... My fiancé said that out of all the recipes on my website, this one is his #1 favorite!! 🙌
Coming in close second is my Homemade Country Biscuits and Sausage Gravy. Also, one of my absolute favorites! It's my mom's recipe ☺️
His third pick is my Chicken Pot Pie Tater Tot Hotdish! Are you seeing a pattern here? They're all creamy and cheesy! Smart man 😉
Ingredients.
- Butter. Real butter adds so much creamy, rich flavor to this soup! So avoid using margarine or any other butter substitute. The chicken and vegetables are cooked in butter, then you'll use more butter and flour to create a roux to thicken the soup. I like to use salted butter, but feel free to use unsalted if you prefer.
- Chicken breasts. One pound, which is about 3 chicken breasts.
- Onion.
- Carrot.
- Celery.
- Garlic.
- Flour.
- Chicken broth.
- Milk. I suggest using whole or 2% milk for a creamier soup.
- Seasoning. You'll need salt, pepper, thyme, sage and nutmeg - trust me, you don't want to skip any of these!
- Cheddar cheese. I like to use sharp white cheddar, but feel free to use your favorite cheddar.
- Frozen corn.
- Cheese tortellini. Frozen or refrigerated - both work great!
How to Make Easy Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup.
- Cook the chicken and vegetables. In a large pot, cook cubed chicken breast with diced onion, carrot and celery in lots of butter. Then add garlic and delicious seasoning.
- Make a roux. Add more butter to the pot until melted, then add flour to make roux to thicken the soup.
- Add the liquid. Pour in chicken broth and milk and let simmer until thickened to soup consistency.
- Cook the tortellini. While the soup simmers, cook tortellini according to package directions then drain.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Mix in cheddar cheese, corn, and the cooked tortellini.
- Eat and enjoy. Serve the soup with buttered, warm, crusty bread.
Cook the tortellini separately.
When making pasta, you always want to avoid overcooking it. Overcooked pasta, including tortellini, is mushy and has a less than pleasant texture.
Although cooking the tortellini directly in the soup sounds like the easier option, I don't recommend it. The tortellini will actually take longer to cook in the soup than they will in boiling water, and if the tortellini sits too long in the soup before it's served, the tortellini may become a little mushy.
The recipe below calls for boiling the tortellini in water while the soup simmers, so that the soup and tortellini are ready at the same time.
Strain the tortellini, then add it to the soup, if you don't anticipate that there will be any leftover. If you think there will be leftovers, it's best to add one serving of tortellini to each individual bowl then ladle with soup over the tortellini, versus adding the tortellini directly to the soup. This way, if you have leftovers, the tortellini doesn't continue to absorb the liquid from the soup while it's in the fridge. If this does happen, just thin out the leftovers with more milk.
Frozen, Refrigerated or Fresh Tortellini?
Use your favorite cheese tortellini, whether it's frozen, refrigerated or even fresh! All work great. Cook the tortellini according to the package directions.
Tips & Substitutions.
Can I use rotisserie or leftover chicken? Yes, use about 2 cups of shredded rotisserie or leftover chicken instead of cooking chicken breasts. If you go this route, add the cooked chicken during the last step when you mix in the corn and tortellini.
Add your favorite vegetables. Love spinach? Add it to the soup when you add the tortellini! Love bell peppers? Sauté them with the vegetables! Don't like corn? Skip it! This soup can easily be adapted to suit your taste buds.
Salt your boiling pasta water. When cooking pasta, including tortellini, it's always a good idea to salt the water! It actually adds noticeable flavor to the pasta. I suggest about 1-2 teaspoons when cooking the tortellini. Add the salt once the water has come to a boil, then add the tortellini.
Serve with crusty bread! I love to serve this soup with warm, crusty bread smeared with lots of salted butter! Sooo good.
More Cozy Soup Recipes You Will Love!
One Pot Smoked Sausage and Potato Cheese Soup
Chicken and Dumplings Soup From Scratch
Creamy Smoked Ham and Bean Soup
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below! I'd love to hear from you! If you’re on Instagram, share a picture of the food you created and tag me at Modern Farmhouse Eats! I enjoy seeing all the pictures! 😊
Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 pound chicken breasts, cut into ½ - 1 inch cubes (about 3 breasts)
- 1 yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 large carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
- 3 celery stalks, diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon each ground sage and ground thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups milk (whole or 2%)
- 9-12 ounces cheese tortellini (frozen or fresh)
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup frozen corn
Instructions
- Add 3 tablespoons of butter, chicken, onion, carrots, and celery to a large pot over medium-high heat. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, sage, thyme and nutmeg. Mix and let cook for one minute.
- Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter to the pot with the chicken and vegetables and mix until melted. Sprinkle with flour and mix again. Let cook for one minute.
- While mixing, slowly pour in the chicken broth then the milk. Simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes until slightly thickened.
- While the soup simmers, bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add the tortellini and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Add the cheddar cheese to the soup and mix until combined, then mix in the corn and cooked tortellini. If you anticipate leftovers, keep the tortellini separate from the soup until you're ready to serve, then add one serving of tortellini to each individual bowl and ladle the soup over the tortellini. Store the leftover tortellini and soup separate in the fridge.
- Serve the soup with buttered crusty bread.
This recipe was created in partnership with Go Bold With Butter. Thank you for supporting brands that I love, which make Modern Farmhouse Eats possible. Learn more about Go Bold With Butter by visiting their website or find them on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.
Toni says
This soup is amazing! I was out of cheddar, so I substituted Applewood smoked gouda cheese. It was creamy and delicious!
My family went wild for this...
Your recipe makes one of the best soups I have ever made or eaten. I have soup parties in the winter, where I serve 2 or 3 different soups. Thus soup will be my only offering for the next party.
Thanks!
Modern Farmhouse Eats says
Hi Toni! Your review makes me sooo happy!! I am so glad that you enjoyed the soup! It's also my fiancé's absolute favorite recipe. Thank you so much for the kind words. I truly appreciate it! 🥰
Dana Seifert says
My husband took so many servings I don’t know where he put them all, and even our picky 7 year old declared this delicious! 6 thumbs up from all 3 of us.
Modern Farmhouse Eats says
Dana, I'm so happy that you all enjoyed the recipe!! Thank you for the review!