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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!

tortellini soup with kale and chicken in a rustic bowl

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

What You Need To Make Tortellini Soup With Kale & Chicken

  • Olive oil
  • Onion
  • Celery
  • Carrot
  • Garlic cloves – fresh is best!
  • Italian seasoning
  • White wine (optional)
  • Chicken broth – see my notes below
  • Canned diced tomatoes
  • Fresh kale – frozen kale will also work
  • Cooked leftover chicken – rotisserie chicken works great in this soup!
  • Tortellini – frozen or fresh tortellini with cheese work great!
  • Salt and pepper
  • Basil and Parmesan to garnish

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!

tortellini soup with kale and chicken in white soup bowls

How To Make This Rustic Tortellini Soup

Making this hearty and delicious soup couldn’t be easier, and like many soups, it starts of by sauteeing veggies.

  1. 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.
  2. Add the Italian seasoning and cook for an additional minute or until fragrant. Deglaze with the white wine (optional).
  3. Transfer the veggies to a heavy bottomed soup pot if necessary, scraping out the pan. Add the chicken broth and canned diced tomatoes. Bring to a simmer.
  4. Add the chopped kale and cover the pot, simmering the soup for 20 minutes.
  5. 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!
  6. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with shredded Parmesan and fresh basil. 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!

Like This? Also Try:

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!

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Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of tortellini should I use in tortellini soup?

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.

Can I add beans to this cheese tortellini soup?

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.

Is Tortellini Soup with Kale & Chicken healthy?

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.

Step By Step Process

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tortellini soup with kale and chicken in white soup bowls
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3.92 from 12 votes

Tortellini Soup with Kale & Chicken

Chunky and loaded with plump tortellini and tender chicken, this amazing soup is rustic and delicious and perfect any time of the year!
Course Soup
Cuisine Italian
Keyword baked pasta, chicken soup, easy soup, rustic tortellini soup, tomatoes, tortellini, tortellini soup
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 284kcal

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

Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 777mg | Potassium: 845mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 10429IU | Vitamin C: 91mg | Calcium: 223mg | Iron: 4mg

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.

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