This recipe for chicken tortellini soup with spinach and tomatoes is super easy to prepare, yet exceptionally delicious! Made entirely in one pot and ready in 30 minutes or less, it's the cozy, hearty twist on classic tomato soup you've been searching for! Recipe can be scaled up or down by using the slider if you hover your mouse over the number of Servings.
Saute vegetables: Heat oil in a large sauce pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, Italian seasoning and pepper flakes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds- 1 minute. Add in the tomato paste and stir until onions are well coated and the paste is caramelized, about 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes and simmer: Add in the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 3-4 minutes. Use the back of a wooden spoon to slightly break apart the tomatoes as they cook. For a chunkier soup: Continue to use the back of a wooden spoon or potato masher to break up tomatoes to desired size. For a silky soup: Turn the heat off under the pot. Use an immersion blender, or transfer the soup in batches to a stand blender, and puree soup. If using a stand blender, return soup to the pot.
Add broth and tortellini: Turn the heat under pot to high and stir in the broth. Bring to a boil. Add the tortellini and reduce heat to a rapid simmer. Cook until tortellini is almost al dente, about 6-7 minutes.
Add chicken and spinach: Stir in the chicken. Then, sir in the spinach and cream. Cook for 2-3 minutes or the spinach is slightly wilted and the tortellini is cooked. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
To serve: Ladle soup into serving bowls and garnish with parsley, basil parmesan and a squeeze of lemon. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Tortellini: Make sure you use DRY tortellini - it can be found in the pasta aisle of major grocery stores. You can use your favorite flavor variety! I used three cheese tortellini, but you can play around until you find your favorite!
Tomatoes: This recipe requires a can of whole, peeled tomatoes and I highly recommend San Marzano Tomatoes. They are the best!
Broth amount:For a creamy soup - use 7 cups of broth and follow instructions adding the cream. If you don't want a creamy soup - omit the heavy cream from the recipe and use 8 cups of broth.
Soup texture: There are two different textures you can go for with this soup – silky tomato base or chunky tomato base.
For a silky tomato base – use an immersion blender, or transfer the soup in batches to a blender, and puree the soup before adding the tortellini.
For a chunky tomato base – finely chop the can of tomatoes before adding them to the soup and skip pureeing all together. Or, you can crush the tomatoes by hand before adding them to the soup, then use a potato masher to break up the tomatoes while they are cooking.
For a happy medium of silky and slightly chunky - Puree half of the soup. Alternatively, you can use canned crushed tomatoes, or use your hands to crush whole peeled tomatoes before adding them to the soup.
To thin the soup: The tortellini will soak up a lot of the soup liquid as it sits. You can add more cream or broth to thin the soup.
Recipe Yield: Approximately 14 Cups
Serves: 6-8
Nutritional information is an estimate based upon 8 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.