Tortellini Soup with Kale & Chicken
With flavor in every spoonful, Tortellini Soup with Kale & Chicken is a rustic Italian tortellini soup that the whole family will love. With slow-cooked flavor without a lot of work, this soup is rich, savory, and loaded with veggies and plump tortellini. Craving a big bowl of goodness? Read on and I’ll show you all my cheffy tips to make this soup perfectly every time!
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A rich, savory broth enhanced with lots of veggies is the perfect backdrop for the plump and tender tortellini. This stuffed pasta takes on the flavor of the broth, making them irresistibly delicious! Perfect in every way, this Tuscan tortellini soup
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What You Need To Make Tortellini Soup With Kale & Chicken
- Olive oil – Use regular olive oil, not extra virgin. Extra virgin oil can taste bitter at high heat.
- Onion – Yellow or white onions both work; chop evenly so they cook into the soup smoothly.
- Celery – Dice it small so it cooks evenly with the carrots and onion.
- Carrot – Dice it small so it cooks at the same rate as the other vegetables.
- Garlic cloves – Always use fresh garlic; jarlic won’t give the same bright flavor.
- Italian seasoning – I look for a salt-free, sugar-free blend; any dried Italian herb mix is safe.
- White wine – Optional; a dry wine adds depth, but chicken broth works if you prefer no alcohol.
- Chicken broth – Low- or no-sodium works best so you can control the salt (see my notes below).
- Canned diced tomatoes – Don’t drain them. The juice adds flavor and body to the soup.
- Fresh kale – Frozen kale is fine; fresh gives the best texture.
- Cooked leftover chicken – Rotisserie chicken is my go-to; dark meat adds more flavor.
- Tortellini – Frozen or fresh cheese tortellini both work; cook according to package directions so it doesn’t overcook in the soup.
- Salt and pepper – Season to taste; I cook with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Basil and Parmesan to garnish – Fresh basil only. Dried basil won’t add the same bright finish. Grate Parmesan yourself from a block—pre-grated is dry and coated with anti-caking agents.
Chicken Broth in Soups
I love to make my own chicken broth, and it’s so easy! Just save raw chicken bones and toss them into a pot with carrot, onion, garlic, celery, and a few bay leaves. Top the pot off with water, and simmer for a few hours.
Of course, you can get cheffy and brown the bones in a hot oven before making the broth, but this soup is loaded with flavor and doesn’t need that extra step.
Another option is to save the carcass from a rotisserie chicken. You know, the kind you get in a grocery store? Pop all those bones and bits of skin and fat into a pot. Add the veggies, top off with water, and simmer for a few hours. The flavor is much more robust than just using raw bones, and without having to roast the bones.
No time to make your own? Use low or no-sodium chicken broth to control the sodium. Your favorite store brand will work, just read the ingredients! There should be no added flavors, colors, or starches in chicken broth!
How To Make This Rustic Tortellini Soup
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
Add the oil to a large skillet, Dutch oven, or heavy-bottomed soup pot and heat over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the diced onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Sauté for 3–5 minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent.
Stir in the Italian seasoning and cook for about 1 minute, just until fragrant. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, if using, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
If needed, transfer the vegetables to a heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the chicken broth and canned diced tomatoes and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
Add the chopped kale, cover the pot, and let the soup simmer for 20 minutes so the flavors can develop.
Stir in the cooked chicken and tortellini. Bring the soup back to a simmer and cook according to the tortellini package directions, being careful not to overcook.
Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Garnish with shredded Parmesan cheese and fresh basil before serving. Enjoy!
Chef Jenn’s Tips
For variations on this tomato tortellini soup, try:
- Spinach instead of kale
- Mustard greens or Swiss chard instead of kale
- Sausage instead of chicken
- Crushed tomatoes instead of diced
- Vegetable broth instead of chicken
Other tips:
- Read the instructions on the tortellini package and only simmer the tortellini for the recommended cooking time.
- Pastas in soups tend to keep absorbing water. To avoid pasta bloat, see my storage suggestions below.
- Use low or no-sodium chicken broth to control the sodium, but you’ll need to add a fair bit of salt because of the tomatoes in the recipe.
- No leftover chicken? You can add raw chicken to the sauteed vegetable mixture and cook it that way. Then build your soup around it.
- Leftover rotisserie chicken is perfect in this recipe – save the carcass to make more chicken broth/stock!
- Add red pepper flakes for a bit of heat
- Got a Parmesan rind? Add it to the simmering soup for extra flavor!
What to Serve With Easy Tortellini Soup with Kale & Chicken
This easy savory soup recipe is perfect on its own as a weeknight dinner or lunch, it’s that hearty! But to turn it into a full meal, add a heel of fresh, homemade crusty bread and butter, or your favorite sandwich. You can also use this soup as a prelude to dishes like Oven Baked Chicken Thighs with Onion Gravy, air fryer Turkey Meatballs, or your favorite grilled meats.
How To Store Soup
When making a soup with pasta in it, the pasta tends to keep on absorbing the broth or liquid, especially if the pasta is in hot broth. To avoid this pasta bloat, I’ll use a slotted spoon or strainer to separate the pasta, veggies, and meat from the broth. I store them in the fridge separately, just combining them again for reheating.
Soups also freeze splendidly, and this one is no exception!
Frequently Asked Questions
Fresh, frozen or dried tortellini will all work well. And the filling is also up to you – can be meat or cheese filled. Read the instructions on the package and simmer the tortellini in the soup for the recommended boiling time on the package.
Sure! Add your favorite canned beans but I wouldn’t add more than a cup, maybe two cups. White beans (aka cannellini beans) And, be sure to rinse the beans first. Dried beans won’t work in this recipe unless you cook them first.
It sure is! It’s loaded with veggies and protein, and a modest number of carbs from the pasta. And, if you use low or no-sodium chicken broth, you can control the sodium in this soup. It’s also fairly low in fat. It’s not a good choice for keto diets, but you could make this recipe gluten-free if you use gluten-free tortellini.
Tortellini Soup with Kale & Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup white wine optional
- 6 cups chopped kale stems removed
- 6 cups low or no sodium chicken broth
- 14.5 ounce canned diced tomatoes undrained
- 8 ounces tortellini
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add the oil to a large skillet, Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot and heat it over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the diced onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Sautee for 3-5 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Add the Italian seasoning and cook for an additional minute or until fragrant. Deglaze with the white wine (optional).
- Transfer the veggies to a heavy bottomed soup pot if necessary, scraping out the pan. Add the kale, chicken broth and canned diced tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cover. Cook for 20 minutes or until the kale is soft.
- Add the cooked chicken and tortellini. Bring the soup back to a simmer and cook as long as the tortellini package suggests. Don't overcook the tortellini!
- Season with salt and pepper and garnish with shredded Parmesan and fresh basil. Enjoy!
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
This looks so comforting! Delicious recipe to warm yourself this fall.
Okay, this might be my new favourite soup!! Such a good combo, I know that I am going to make it over and over in my house this fall! 🙂
Delicious! just like the Italian favorite “Tortellini in brodo”. I love eating Tortelinni this way, is light and screams comfort food!
So good as dinner in the fall or winter!
Yum! The kale in the soup makes it taste even more hearty and healthy. This one’s going in the rotation! Thanks for sharing!