Slow Cooker Chicken Tortellini Soup

This slow cooker chicken tortellini tomato soup is packed full of Italian flavors and is absolutely delicious. If your family loves pasta night, they’ll love this hearty soup. This cheery bowl of soup is full of juicy tomatoes, tender chicken, wholesome vegetables and plump cheese tortellini all in each bite.

Normally in the house it’s the kids that need a little nudge when it comes to dinner. When soup is on the menu though, my husband sometimes needs an extra nudge.

He just isn’t a big fan of brothy soups, he’d just rather have a solid bite then broth. I can usually sway him though when a soup is hearty and “packed full of goodies” as he likes to say.

This chicken tortellini soup does that! Packed with rich tomato flavor, lots of cheesy tortellini and plenty of vegetables that fill in the rest. Bright and cheery, it’s a great soup for winter… but it also shines just as much on a cold and wet spring day.

Ingredients For Chicken Tortellini Tomato Soup

• Boneless Chicken Breast– You can also use dark meat like boneless chicken thighs which cook up beautifully in the crock pot.
• Tomatoes– I’ve used canned tomatoes to make the prep faster, but fresh can also be used. Stick to low or no sodium if you can so you can control the salt level, as the cheese and tortellini also contain added salt too.
• Chicken Broth– This gives your soup a little extra depth of flavor, opt for low or no sodium and add salt and pepper as needed so it’s not too salty.
• Carrots And Onions– I usually shred the carrots, but diced for both also works also. These ingredients all just add more flavor and filling to the soup. Celery can also be added if you have it on hand.
• Spinach– Handfuls of fresh spinach just finish off the soup, but frozen can be substituted in a pinch. See my notes further down the page for more info on using frozen spinach.
• Italian Spices– I’ve used a mix of general Italian seasoning just to make this soup go quicker. Don’t miss adding that extra basil listed in the recipe to make the tomato flavor pop more.

How To Make Chicken Tortellini Tomato Soup In The Slowcooker

This easy chicken tortellini soup only takes a few steps to pack it full of flavor.

1. Cook Chicken And Veggies– Add chicken, all veggies except spinach, broth and spices to the slowcooker. Cook in the slowcooker until the chicken is falling apart 2-3 hours on high or 3-4 hours on low.
2. Shred Chicken– When the chicken is tender, remove it and shred with two forks. Then add the chicken back to the crockpot.
3. Cook Tortellini– Add frozen tortellini to the slow cooker and cook for about 20 minutes on high. If using refrigerated tortellini the time will be even shorter, cook until tender.
4. Add Spinach– Chop spinach if you prefer a smaller bite. (better for young kids as well.) Add spinach in handfuls to the soup. Let the spinach wilt in the hot pot for a few minutes, then serve!

Try the Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup or my Italian Wedding Soup (full of savory meatballs!) Both soups are super cozy for dinner, and taste extra delicious when you are under the weather. Or Grandma’s Slowcooker Chicken Noodle Soup is easy and a classic!

Is There An Easy Way To Make This Chicken Tortellini Soup Creamy?

If you have a little heavy cream, you can make this soup creamy fast. Just add a good drizzle to the bowl and stir before you eat.

How To Make Your Tomato Soup Smooth Instead of Chunky Style

If you prefer a smoother soup over a chunky style soup, you can blend the soup base right after the step where you remove and shred the chicken bread.

• Immersion Blender– You can use an immersion blender right in the crockpot to blend the soup until smooth. This is the easiest method because you don’t have to transfer the broth. Then you add the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker once you’ve finished blending.
• Blender or Food Processor– If you don’t have an immersion blender, try a blender or food processor. Blend the tomato and vegetable mixture then add it back to the crockpot. Next, add the shredded chicken to the crockpot too. If you transfer the soup to a blender, I recommend covering it with the shredded chicken added for at least 30 minutes before you start adding the chicken tortellini. This allows the soup to come back up to temperature so the tortellini cooks properly.

Can I Use Frozen Chicken Breasts?

Yes you totally can use chicken breasts straight from frozen. Cook the chicken and tomato mixture initially for 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low if cooking from frozen.

Can I Use Fresh Tortellini Instead Of Frozen?

You can substitute fresh refrigerated tortellini for frozen fairly interchangeably in this recipe. Expect that the fresh tortellini will cook a little faster than frozen will.

I often use frozen tortellini because it’s easy to store in the freezer to have on hand when I need it, but I also buy the convenient refrigerated tortellini also. Either will work for this recipe!

Can I Use Dried Tortellini In This Slow Cooker Chicken Tortellini Soup?

You can use dried tortellini for this recipe BUT I recommend cooking it in a separate pot of boiling water according to the package directions. Once cooked add the warm drained pasta to the soup before serving.

Dried tortellini absorbs a lot more liquid than frozen or fresh pasta does. If you put dried tortellini straight into the crockpot it will either absorb way too much of the soup liquid. Your soup will end up feeling mushier and will likely have not much liquid left in the pot.

If you are looking for dried tortellini to keep in your pantry on hand, Trader Joes sells some that is delicious! Dried tortellini, just like dried boxed pasta, does have a much longer shelf life then refrigerated pasta.

Can I Use Frozen Spinach Instead Of Fresh Spinach?

Frozen spinach can also be used in this recipe, but there are a few more things to keep in mind. I recommend if using frozen spinach that you add it to the slow cooker at the same time that you add the tortellini, which gives it a little longer to cook.

Keep in mind that a block of 10-ounce block of spinach can be too much in a soup. Blocks of spinach can be defrosted, but you will only need about an ounce of spinach from a 10 ounce block.

Frozen spinach can be purchased chopped in a bag that is loose in the bag in small pieces. This allows you to grab only a cup’s worth of spinach at a time rather than a giant block that is compressed and seems like it never stops expanding as you defrost it.

I recommend if using frozen spinach you add it at the same time that you add the tortellini. The spinach could also be swapped for chopped kale that has had the stems removed if you prefer.

Buying spinach frozen but loose in the bag is my favorite way to purchase frozen spinach. I often throw a handful in the pan and defrost before adding a scrambled egg for breakfast.

Can I Freeze This Chicken Tortellini Soup?

I do not recommend freezing this soup after making it. The tortellini tend to become too bloated and saturated when you freeze this soup and you’ll loose most of the chewy texture in the noodles.

Swaps And Other Ways To Serve This Soup

Here are a few things I like to add to this soup straight in the bowl.

• Add a drizzle of heavy cream to make the whole bowl a creamy soup.
• Stir in a small spoonful of basil pesto to the bowl for a little more flavor punch.
• Add a generous helping of parmesan cheese.
• Top a bowl with red pepper flakes, go easy it can get spicy fast!
• Serve with my cheddar bacon quick bread or pull apart cheesy garlic bread, delicious!
• Swap browned and drained ground sausage for half of the chicken.

Other Recipe You Will Love

Fast And Easy Chicken Bruschetta Pasta – Delicious hot or cold

Italian Pasta Salad– Makes a great side!

Cheesy Baked Ravioli– Quick and easy casserole made with frozen or fresh ravioli.

Hearty Potato And Ham Soup – A cozy soup perfect for chilly days

Quick And Easy Chicken Noodle Soup – Fast and delicious!

Ground Turkey Chili (Family Favorite Recipe!) – A delicious chili made with lean turkey that packs plenty of flavor.

Slow Cooker Weeknight Chicken Tacos – Make these easy chicken tacos in your slow cooker and the whole family will cheer!

Easy One Pot Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice– So flavorful and packed full of simple ingredients. This dish is a perfect weeknight meal with only one pot to clean up!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortellini Soup

Author Kristy Richardson

Course Dinners, Soup

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6 Servings

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This slow cooker chicken tortellini soup is full of tender chicken, delicious cheesy tortellini and just enough bright spinach all topped with a generous handful of parmesan cheese. This easy soup is bright and cheery and bursting with Italian flavors.

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Equipment

• 6 quart slow cooker
• Large spoon
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Cutting board
• Sharp knife
• Box grater
• 2 forks
• Ladle

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 Chicken breasts boneless, skinless, about 12 ounces
• ▢ 3 cans Tomatoes – 14 ounce cans Low or no salt is preffered. Crushed or diced both work.
• ▢ 1 Large carrot- grated about ½ cup grated carrot
• ▢ 1 Small onion- diced about a half cup
• ▢ 32 ounces Low sodium chicken broth one box
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
• ▢ ½ Teaspoon Dried basil
• ▢ 1 Teaspoon Salt
• ▢ ½ Teaspoon Pepper
• ▢ 16 ounce Frozen cheese tortellini Anywhere between 16-20 ounces works best, see notes if you have refrigerated tortellini
• ▢ 1 cup Fresh spinach- diced See notes about using frozen spinach
• ▢ Parmesan cheese At table

Instructions

• Place the chicken breasts and tomatoes in the slow cooker. Grate the carrot and dice the onion, then add to the slow cooker. Next add the chicken broth, italian seasoning, basil, salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 hours on high or 4-5 hours on low. Chicken should be cooked through and no longer pink in the middle.
• Remove the chicken breast from the slow cooker to a cutting board. With two forks turned backward, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces that fit on a spoon. Then add the chicken back to the slow cooker.
• Add the tortellini to the slow cooker and let it cook for 20 minutes.
• Dice the spinach into small pieces. Add to the slow cooker and keep it covered for about 10 minutes.
• Serve with a generous topping of parmesan cheese and enjoy.

Notes

You can substitute fresh refrigerated tortellini for frozen fairly interchangeably in this recipe though the fresh will cook a little faster. If you have dried tortellini, I recommend cooking it in a separate pot of boiling water according to the package directions and then add the drained pasta to the soup before serving. Dried tortellini absorbs a lot more liquid than frozen or fresh pasta does and with the liquid proportions of this recipe you will be left with very little broth left in your soup.

This recipe was made in a 6-quart slow cooker.

Nutrition

Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 949mg | Potassium: 701mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2654IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 167mg | Iron: 4mg

Keyword chicken recipe, crock pot, pasta, slow cooker, tomato soup

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