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This single serving Chicken Tortellini Soup is a warm and comforting dish made with tender chicken, cheese tortellini, and a flavorful broth. It’s quick to prepare, easy to customize, and perfect when you’re cooking for one.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Customizable: Swap ingredients to suit your taste.
- Wholesome: Filled with vegetables for a balanced meal.
- Flavorful: Made with tender chicken, cheesy tortellini, and Italian herbs.
- Single Serving: Perfectly sized for one.
This chicken tortellini soup is one of my favorite comforting meals to make when I want something warm and satisfying.
It’s inspired by the Italian classic, tortellini en brodo, and filled with tender chicken, cheese tortellini, and a flavorful broth. It comes together easily with minimal prep and is perfect when you’re cooking just for yourself.
You can keep it simple or add in extra vegetables or sausage to make it heartier. If you haven’t tried this one yet, you definitely should – it’s so good!
Looking for more single serving soup recipes? Try our broccoli cheddar soup for one, French onion soup for one, cioppino for one, creamy potato soup for one, or single serving zuppa toscana.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small batch chicken tortellini soup recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Chicken: Use a 5- to 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh, cut into 1-inch pieces. Or use rotisserie chicken and skip to step 3. Extra chicken? Try it in chicken tikka masala for one, Greek chicken for one, or chicken Parmesan for one.
- Chicken Broth: I use low-sodium broth to better control salt. Taste after cooking and adjust as needed. Leftover broth? Use it in split pea soup for one, single serving chicken spaghetti, or coq au vin for one.
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and black pepper add great flavor. Use basil, oregano, thyme, or rosemary if you’re out of Italian seasoning.
- Cheese Tortellini: I use refrigerated tortellini for a quick cook time. Frozen or dried works too, just cook longer. Use extra tortellini in single serving tortellini soup.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Variations
Try one of these easy ways to change up your tortellini soup:
- Vegetarian: Use tofu or beans instead of chicken and swap in vegetable broth.
- Creamy: Stir in a splash of cream for a richer texture.
- Shrimp: Replace chicken with shrimp for a seafood version.
- Lemon Chicken: Add 1/2 teaspoon (or more) of lemon juice for a fresh citrus flavor.
- Loaded Vegetable: Add more spinach, frozen corn, or peas for extra color and nutrients.
How To Make Chicken Tortellini Soup
These photos and instructions help you visualize how to make a single serving of chicken tortellini soup. See the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Season the Chicken: Toss chicken pieces with salt and black pepper.
- Cook the Chicken: In a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, heat olive oil for 30 seconds. Add chicken and cook for 6 minutes, flipping halfway. Remove and set aside.
- Sauté the Vegetables: If the pot is dry, add ½ tablespoon more oil. Add onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes.
- Simmer the Soup: Add broth, chicken, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender.
- Add Tortellini: Uncover and add tortellini. Simmer for 4 minutes.
- Add Spinach: Stir in the spinach and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve: Ladle into a bowl and top with shredded Parmesan.
Expert Tips
- Read Ahead: This soup cooks quickly, so read through the recipe and ingredient notes before starting. Gather all ingredients ahead of time.
- Spinach Swaps: Use arugula instead of spinach, or leave it out. You can also add extra spinach if you like.
- Tortellini Options: Fresh tortellini cooks fastest and is easy to find. If using frozen or dried, follow the cooking time on the package.
Serving Suggestions
Here are a few easy and flavorful sides to enjoy alongside your soup:
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, frozen tortellini works well. Just adjust the cooking time based on the package instructions.
Yes, using cooked rotisserie chicken is a great time-saver. Add it when you return the tortellini to the pot to warm through.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The tortellini may soften as it sits.
It’s best to freeze the soup without the tortellini. Add fresh or frozen tortellini when reheating.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
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Chicken Tortellini Soup For One
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (5 to 6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast or boneless, skinless chicken thigh-cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt -divided
- ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup chopped onions
- 1 medium celery stalk -chopped
- 1 medium carrot -peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 clove garlic -minced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 3 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini (about 3/4 cup)
- ½ cup fresh spinach -chopped
- Optional: shredded Parmesan cheese, for topping
Instructions
- Toss chicken pieces in a bowl with ⅛ teaspoon of salt and black pepper.
- In a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, heat olive oil for 30 seconds. Add chicken and cook for 6 minutes, flipping halfway. Remove and set aside.
- If the pot is dry, add ½ tablespoon more oil. Add onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and a pinch (⅛ teaspoon) of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Add broth, chicken, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender.
- Uncover and add tortellini. Simmer for 4 minutes.
- Stir in spinach and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Ladle into a bowl and top with shredded Parmesan
Notes
- Read Ahead: This soup cooks quickly, so read through the recipe and ingredient notes before starting. Gather all ingredients ahead of time.
- Spinach Swaps: Use arugula instead of spinach, or leave it out. You can also add extra spinach if you like.
- Tortellini Options: Fresh tortellini cooks fastest and is easy to find. If using frozen or dried, follow the cooking time on the package.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Yummy.
If you substitute 3 tablespoons dried rice-cooked, for the tortellini, but keep the rest of the recipe the same, then you will have a great chicken rice soup.
Good recipe.