Transform a simple packet of tortellini into a nourishing bowl of Chicken Alfredo Tortellini Soup in just 20 minutes with this simple recipe. Just follow a few easy steps and immerse yourself in a creamy and delicious soup that the whole family will love.
With tender chicken, umami mushrooms, nourishing spinach, and your favorite variety of store-bought tortellini. This one-pan recipe will leave you with minimal washing up and tasty leftovers to enjoy the next day.
Want another warming and comforting tortellini soup? For a lighter alternative check out my Green Minestrone with Tortellini or my Spicy Tortellini Soup.
Or for more warming pasta soups try my Rosa Marina (Orzo Tomato & chicken Soup), Minestrone Soup with Chicken, or Pastina Soup, also known as Italian Penicillin.
The post contains additional information and helpful tips to ensure the recipe turns out great the first time. Please use the link above to jump to the recipe card at the end if you are in a hurry!
✅ 4 reasons why you'll love this recipe:
- A comforting hearty soup to warm your body and soul during those cooler months.
- A 20-minute one-pot meal with all your favorite Alfredo flavors. Perfect for a busy day!
- Puts leftover chicken to good use. It's also a great way to enjoy leftover turkey too, like my Leftover Turkey Fricassee.
- Make-ahead friendly - you can store the cooked soup in the fridge for up to 3 days.
🛒 Key ingredients:
This cozy soup is made with 10 simple ingredients that are easy to find at your local grocery store.
- Tortellini - Can be fresh or frozen. I often opt for something vegetarian like cheese tortellini, spinach and ricotta, or mushroom as I find the meat varieties a little heavy in this soup.
- Mushrooms - choose the ones you like the most. I tend to use chestnut mushrooms because I like their earthy flavor, but you could also use white mushrooms, portobello or porcini.
- Chicken - I often use leftover roast chicken. If you don't have leftovers to hand use rotisserie chicken or roast or poach a chicken leg or a couple of thighs.
Substitutions
Note that the recipe has not been tested with all the substitutions and variations below, so the results cannot be guaranteed.
- Chicken broth (stock) - you can also use vegetable stock.
- Parmesan cheese - another hard nutty cheese like pecorino or Grana Padano will also work well.
- Light cream - substitute with half-and-half. You can use heavy cream if you need to, but note that it may make the soup a little thicker, so you might need to add more stock.
Variations:
- Switch out the chicken for cooked ham, bacon, or sausage.
- Add red pepper flakes for a spicy kick
- Swap tortellini for ravioli or a variety of short non-filled pasta like fusilli or orecchiette for a lighter option.
🧑🍳 Recipe steps
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions! *
- In a large pot, fry the mushrooms in melted butter on a medium-high heat until they begin to brown and set aside.
2. Add more butter to the pan, cook the garlic for a minute until fragrant and stir in the flour to form a thick paste.
3. Add the chicken broth gradually and stir continuously to get rid of any lumps. Then stir in the cream, nutmeg and black pepper.
4. Increase the heat to simmer and add the tortellini and spinach. Add the cooked mushrooms and chicken and serve immediately.
🥣 Serving suggestions
With protein-filled chicken, a healthy portion of green veg and yummy umami mushrooms, this hearty tortellini soup is a meal in itself. Here are a few side-dish options for those looking to add something extra:
- Bread: dunk crusty bread or garlic bread into the creamy Alfredo soup use it to soak up the remaining soup as you finish.
- Salad: a simple green salad with a tangy lemon-based or balsamic dressing breaks up the richness of the creamy soup.
- Green veggies: a portion of baked green veggies to make your meal even more nutritious.
👍 Top tips
- Add the chicken stock gradually and keep stirring to avoid lumps.
- Cook the tortellini separately if you need to. There should be enough liquid in the pan to cook the tortellini in the soup, however, if you are using a wide-bottomed pan you might not have enough. Cook the tortellini in a separate pan if this is the case so that it doesn't stick to the bottom.
- Add more stock if you need to - feel free to add a little extra stock to the soup if you find there isn't enough liquid after you have cooked the tortellini and spinach.
🙋 FAQs
Because ravioli and tortellini are both filled pasta of a similar consistency, they can be used interchangeably in most dishes including soup. Tortellini tends to be smaller so is a better option if you want the pasta in your soup to be bite-sized.
Fresh tortellini only requires a few minutes of cooking time and can be cooked in the soup as long as it is not too thick. If your soup is of a thicker consistency, or you don't have a lot of liquid it's best to cook the pasta in another pan to avoid it sticking to the bottom.
Soups that do not contain dairy products like milk and cream can be frozen before the tortellini is added. Freezing can cause creamy sauces to separate and starchy sauces made with flour can also be much thinner when defrosted.
Add more stock or water to thin out a thick soup. Stir in extra cream, cheese or add more roux to thicken a soup that is too thin.
📦 Storage
The cooked soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated on the stove or in the microwave. Just allow it to cool and transfer to an airtight container once it reaches room temperature.
Unfortunately, cream-based soups don't do well in the freezer because the cream can separate, resulting in a grainy texture.
😋 More easy creamy pasta recipes
A hearty bowl of soup can be just what you need on a cold winter's day (or at any other time of year). If you enjoyed this chicken Alfredo soup, you should try my other soup recipes.
Did you try this recipe? It would be really great if you could leave a comment and a star rating ⭐️. I would love to receive your feedback and know that other readers find it helpful too.
Don't forget to tag #knifeandsoulrecipes on Instagram or @knifeandsoul on Pinterest!
📖 Recipe
Recipe Card
Chicken Alfredo Tortellini Soup (with mushrooms & spinach)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 2 cups (190 g) mushrooms thinly sliced
- 4 cloves (4) garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon (2 tablespoon) all purpose flour
- ¾ cup (175 ml) single cream
- 3 ½ cups (800 ml) chicken stock + more if needed
- ½ cup (50 g) Parmesan shredded
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) black pepper + extra for serving
- 9 oz (250 g) tortellini
- 5 cups (160 g) fresh spinach
- 2 cups (250 g) cooked shredded chicken
Instructions
- Place a pan on a high heat and add half of the butter. Add the mushrooms when the butter starts to sizzle and cook for a few minutes until they begin to brown and set aside.
- Reduce the pan to a medium-low heat and add the rest of the butter. Add the garlic when the butter begins to sizzle and cook for a minute until fragrant.
- Stir in the flour to form a thick paste and pour in the chicken stock gradually, stirring continuously to get rid of any lumps.
- Stir in the Cream, Parmesan, nutmeg and pepper.
- Increase the heat until the soup starts to simmer and add the tortellini and spinach. (Note 1 & 2)
- Stir in the cooked chicken and mushrooms and serve immediately.
Notes
- You should have enough liquid to cook the tortellini. However, if you are using a wide pan you might not and it's best to cook the tortellini separately, so it doesn't stick to the bottom.
- Add a little extra stock to the soup if you find there isn't enough liquid after you have cooked the tortellini and spinach.
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