This chicken tortellini soup for the slow cooker hits every healthy note. It's packed with tasty vegetables and chicken. Top it off with cheese or meat filled tortellini and some basil and shaved Parmesan cheese for a delicious, healthy meal you can feel great about eating.
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We've been wanting to share more soup recipes, and are excited to share this chicken tortellini soup that we've been enjoying for several days now. We love it because it's filling, yet low in calories and super healthy. It's a brothy soup and not heavy at all. Like this chicken and sausage stew and spicy chicken soup, there is just something really comforting about it. Plus your body will thank you for all of the nutritious veggies and protein-rich, low fat chicken you're taking in.
Personally, I love the convenience of a slow cooker. You can prepare everything ahead of time and when you get home from whatever you were doing that day, you have a hot meal ready to go. If you don't have a slow cooker or prefer to make this recipe on a stovetop, we have also provided the instructions below to make this soup using the stovetop method.
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❤️ Reasons to Love This Recipe
- It's healthy. At less than 300 calories and 23 grams of protein, this soup is just what your body needs to feel nourished and healthy.
- It can be prepared ahead. You can easily chop the vegetables the night before and store them in an airtight container in your fridge overnight. You can even saute the veggies and prepare the chicken the night before as well.
- It's easy. Preparing this recipe is really just a matter of chopping some vegetables and sauteing the chicken. Your slow cooker does the rest.
- It's freezable. This recipe makes several servings. If you find yourself with leftovers or you want to make it ahead on the weekend for meal prep, you can freeze it in individual portions to enjoy anytime the craving for a healthy soup hits you!
🍗 Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- 1 cup green bell pepper. Chopped.
- 1 cup onion. Chopped. You can use either white or yellow onion. We used white.
- ½ cup celery. Sliced.
- 1½ pound chicken tenders. You can substitute chicken breast or boneless, skinless thighs. Cut into bite size pieces after searing.
- 1 can white beans. 14 ounces. Rinsed and drained. You can use navy, great northern, or cannellini beans.
- 1 can diced tomatoes. 14 ounces. With Italian seasonings. You can substitute unseasoned diced tomatoes and add a little extra seasoning to the soup.
- 1 medium zucchini. Sliced.
- 1 cup green beans. Cut ends off. Fresh or frozen is fine.
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic. Having prepared minced garlic on hand makes life much easier for the home cook. We always keep a jar in our fridge.
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder. Adds flavor.
- 1 tablespoon Italian herbs. Dried. If you don't have an Italian seasoning blend, you can substitute ½ teaspoon each of dried basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram.
- Salt and pepper. To taste.
- 64 ounces chicken broth. This may seem like a lot, but the tortellini will soak up some of the broth.
- 9 ounces mini tortellini. Sausage or cheese filled. We highly recommend going with the mini version here for the reason stated above. The tortellini soaks up some of the broth and the mini version will not soak up as much.
- 3 tablespoons basil. Chopped. Adds flavor and color.
- Parmesan cheese. Shaved or grated. Adds flavor.
📝 Instructions
Stovetop Method
To make this soup in a Dutch oven or soup pot, follow steps 1 through 3 up the point of adding the broth. (You can saute vegetables and cook the chicken in the same pot.) Place Dutch oven or soup pot over high heat, stir and bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and simmer on low for 25 minutes. Add tortellini and simmer for 15 minutes longer or until pasta is tender.
Click here to learn how to make this chicken tortellini soup in a visual story.
🍲 Equipment
If using stovetop method:
- Dutch oven; or
- Soup pot.
ℹ️ Substitutions
- Pasta - Instead of tortellini, you can use rotelle, small shell, orzo, or mini farfalle (bowtie) pasta.
- Gluten Free - You can substitute your favorite gluten-free pasta for a gluten free version of this chicken soup.
- Vegetarian - For a vegetarian version, omit the chicken and use vegetable broth for a delicious tortellini vegetable soup!
💡 Variations
- Spicy - Add chili pepper flakes and/or chipotle peppers while cooking to add heat to the dish.
- Deluxe - Add sliced smoked sausage, in addition to the chicken, for a heartier, protein-packed soup.
🌡️ Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container. Soup will keep in the fridge for up to a week. For maximum freshness, immediately freeze single portions in freezer safe containers. Soup will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave.
💭 Top tips
- If using low sodium broth, be sure to season the soup well so that it doesn't end up tasting bland.
- Try to stick with mini tortellini. If you can't find it, you can substitute full size tortellini, but use half as much.
- Take care when handling the chicken that you avoid cross contamination. The chicken will not be fully cooked after searing. When cutting up the chicken, be sure to use a cutting board that is designated for raw chicken or cover the board with a cutting mat that you can clean thoroughly after use.
🥘 Related Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Chicken Tortellini Soup
This chicken tortellini soup for the slow cooker hits every healthy note. It's packed with tasty vegetables and chicken. Top it off with cheese or meat filled tortellini and some basil and shaved Parmesan cheese for a delicious, healthy meal you can feel great about eating.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup green bell pepper Chopped.
- 1 cup onion Chopped.
- ½ cup celery Sliced.
- 1½ pound chicken tenders
- 1 can white beans 14 ounces. Rinsed and drained.
- 1 can diced tomatoes 14 ounces. With Italian seasonings.
- 1 medium zucchini Sliced.
- 1 cup green beans Cut. Fresh or frozen is fine.
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Italian herbs Dried.
- Salt and pepper To taste.
- 64 ounces chicken broth
- 9 ounces mini tortellini Sausage or cheese filled.
- 3 tablespoons basil Chopped.
- Parmesan cheese Shaved or grated
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, onion, and celery. Cook, stirring often, for 4-5 minutes or until onion is translucent. Remove mixture to slow cooker. Wipe skillet with a paper towel.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 cup green bell pepper, 1 cup onion, ½ cup celery
- Add second tablespoon of olive oil and continue heating over medium-high heat. Season chicken tenders with salt and pepper and add to skillet. Sear on each side for 1 minute. Remove chicken to cutting board. (To prevent cross contamination, be sure to use a board that you only use for raw chicken or cover the board with a mat that you can wash thoroughly). Cut tenders into bite-sized pieces, then add to slow cooker.1½ pound chicken tenders
- Add beans, tomatoes, zucchini, and green beans to slow cooker. Sprinkle minced garlic, garlic powder, Italian herbs, salt and pepper over the top. Pour in the chicken broth. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours or on high for 3½ hours.1 can white beans, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 medium zucchini, 1 cup green beans, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon Italian herbs, Salt and pepper, 64 ounces chicken broth
- Add mini tortellini and continue cooking for 15 minutes or until pasta is tender. Garnish with basil and Parmesan.9 ounces mini tortellini, 3 tablespoons basil, Parmesan cheese
Notes
To make this soup in a Dutch oven or soup pot, follow steps 1 through 3 up the point of adding the broth. (You can saute vegetables and cook the chicken in the same pot.) Place Dutch oven or soup pot over high heat, stir and bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and simmer on low for 25 minutes. Add tortellini and simmer for 15 minutes longer or until pasta is tender. Tips
- If using low sodium broth, be sure to season the soup well so that it doesn't end up tasting bland.
- Try to stick with mini tortellini. If you can't find it, you can substitute full size tortellini, but use half as much.
- Take care when handling the chicken that you avoid cross contamination. The chicken will not be fully cooked after searing. When cutting up the chicken, be sure to use a cutting board that is designated for raw chicken or cover the board with a cutting mat that you can clean thoroughly after use.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 252kcal (13%)Carbohydrates: 24g (8%)Protein: 23g (46%)Fat: 7g (11%)Saturated Fat: 2g (13%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 53mg (18%)Sodium: 867mg (38%)Potassium: 762mg (22%)Fiber: 4g (17%)Sugar: 4g (4%)Vitamin A: 306IU (6%)Vitamin C: 36mg (44%)Calcium: 110mg (11%)Iron: 3mg (17%)
Nutritional information provided is for one serving and is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
Preston says
I couldn’t wait to try this soup. One of the best soups ever. Easy to make, and now I have a ready to go dish for the entire week. Very flavorful, & healthy as advertised.
Sandra says
Thank you for this feedback! I'm so glad you enjoyed the soup!