Creamy Tuscan Tortellini Soup is cheese tortellini, shredded chicken, white beans and fresh spinach in a creamy tomato broth with Parmesan and Italian seasoning. It all cooks in one pot, the tortellini go in straight from the package, and it is ready in 25 minutes. It serves 8.
How to make it: Soften onion and garlic in butter, then add the broth, diced tomatoes, white beans, cream, Parmesan and seasonings and bring it to a simmer. Stir in the chicken, tortellini and spinach and simmer 10 minutes, until the pasta is tender.
Why You’ll Love It
- 25 minutes: 10 minutes of prep and 15 on the stove.
- One pot: the tortellini cook right in the soup, so there is no pasta pot to drain.
- Mostly ready-made: refrigerated tortellini, canned tomatoes and beans, and leftover or rotisserie chicken.
- Easy to change: swap in sausage, kale or half and half, or leave the meat out.
Ingredient Notes
Cheese tortellini: A 10-ounce package from the refrigerated case. Dried or frozen tortellini work too; they just need a few more minutes in the pot.
Cooked chicken: Two cups, shredded. Rotisserie or leftover chicken is perfect here.
Diced tomatoes and white beans: One 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes and one 15-ounce can of white beans, drained and rinsed.
Heavy cream and Parmesan: A cup of cream and half a cup of grated Parmesan make the broth creamy. For a lighter pot, use half and half.
Spinach: Two cups of fresh spinach, stirred in with the tortellini. Kale works in its place.
Italian seasoning: One tablespoon, with salt and pepper.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes (1 can)
- 15 ounces white beans (1 can), drained and rinsed
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
- 10 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 2 cups fresh spinach
How to Make Creamy Tuscan Tortellini Soup
1. Soften the onion. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent and tender. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
2. Build the broth. Add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, white beans, heavy cream, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Slowly heat the soup to a simmer.
3. Cook the tortellini. Stir in the shredded chicken, tortellini and spinach and simmer for 10 minutes, until the tortellini are tender and the soup is hot, 165°F. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.
Do You Cook the Tortellini Before Adding It to Soup?
No. That is the shortcut that makes this soup so quick: the tortellini cook right in the broth. A few details help.
Add them last. The tortellini go in with the chicken and spinach once the soup is simmering. Ten minutes at a gentle simmer cooks refrigerated tortellini through and thickens the broth a little.
Dried or frozen tortellini. Both work straight from the package. Give them a few more minutes of simmering and taste one before you serve.
Plan for leftovers. Tortellini keep soaking up broth as the soup sits. When you reheat it, stir in a big splash of broth or water to loosen it.
Making it ahead? Cook the soup without the tortellini, refrigerate it, and add the tortellini when you reheat, cooking them a few minutes before serving.
| Tortellini | How | Time in the soup |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerated cheese tortellini | Straight from the package | About 10 minutes at a simmer |
| Dried or frozen tortellini | Straight from the package | A few minutes longer; taste one |
| Making the soup ahead | Leave them out until reheating | A few minutes after the soup is hot |
Tips for Success
What’s the secret to a flavorful Tuscan soup?
Build the flavor early. If you use sausage, brown it first and cook the vegetables in the fat it leaves behind. Fresh thyme and chopped sun-dried tomatoes add depth, and a Parmesan rind simmered in the broth, then removed before the tortellini go in, makes it richer.
How do I make it spicy?
Add red pepper flakes with the seasonings, or sprinkle them on each bowl.
Variations
- Italian sausage: brown Italian sausage in olive oil, remove it, and cook chopped onion, carrots and celery in the leftover fat. Add garlic, thyme and sun-dried tomatoes, then crushed tomatoes and broth, and finish with the tortellini, white beans, spinach and cream.
- Slow cooker sausage soup: cook 1 pound of sweet or spicy Italian sausage with onion and garlic until cooked through, then add it to the slow cooker with chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, basil and oregano. Cook on high 2 to 3 hours or low 4 to 5, add half and half, Parmesan and tortellini for 20 minutes, then kale for 10.
- Turkey sausage: use turkey sausage in place of the chicken; cook ground turkey sausage to 165°F.
- Lighter: use half and half instead of heavy cream, or stir in Greek yogurt.
- More vegetables: add bell peppers, sliced mushrooms or zucchini.
- Vegetarian: leave out the chicken and use vegetable broth, with pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, kale and white beans.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. Cream sauces don’t freeze well, so the broth may look a little different after thawing. Thaw frozen soup in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat it on the stove to a rolling boil, adding broth or water since the tortellini soak up liquid, and don’t reheat it in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
A slice of crusty bread or cheesy Texas toast and a green salad are all it needs. For more creamy soups, try crack chicken soup, million dollar soup or baked potato soup. For a tomato-based bowl, there is slow cooker Amish tomato noodle soup, and for something bright, slow cooker lemon chicken and rice soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s in Tuscan tortellini soup?
Cheese tortellini, shredded chicken, white beans, diced tomatoes and spinach in chicken broth with heavy cream, Parmesan and Italian seasoning, started with onion and garlic in butter.
Do I need to cook tortellini before adding to soup?
No. Refrigerated tortellini cook in the simmering soup in about 10 minutes. Dried or frozen tortellini need a few minutes more.
Can I use kale instead of spinach?
Yes. Chopped kale works in place of the spinach.
Can I use half and half instead of heavy cream?
Yes, for a lighter soup. Heavy cream gives the creamiest broth.
Final Notes
Keep an extra cup of broth nearby for the second day, when the tortellini have soaked up the soup. If you make this, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Creamy Tuscan Tortellini Soup
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small white onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes 1 can
- 15 ounces white beans 1 can, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups cooked chicken shredded
- 10 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 2 cups fresh spinach
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent and tender. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, white beans, heavy cream, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Slowly heat the soup to a simmer.
- Stir in the shredded chicken, tortellini and spinach and simmer for 10 minutes, until the tortellini are tender and the soup is hot, 165°F. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.
