This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This chicken tortellini soup for one simmers tender chicken and cheese tortellini with fresh vegetables in a light, golden broth. Every spoonful is warm, filling, and made just for you.
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Equipment: 2-quart saucepan
- Cook Method: Stovetop
- Servings: 1 serving
- Difficulty: Easy
This easy chicken tortellini soup is simple to customize and works with one chicken breast or thigh, or with cooked or rotisserie chicken.
Why You’ll Love This Single Serving Chicken Tortellini Soup
This chicken tortellini soup is what I make when I want something warm and filling without a large pot of leftovers. It uses one chicken breast or thigh, a small amount of vegetables, and just enough tortellini for one generous bowl.
Browning the chicken first adds flavor to the pot, and cooking the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in those pan juices gives the broth a better base. The tortellini cooks right in the soup, which keeps the recipe simple and gives the broth a little more body without cream.
I like that this single serving chicken tortellini soup feels complete but is still easy to adjust. Add extra spinach, use rotisserie chicken to save time, or finish with a little lemon juice to make the broth taste fresher.
For more single serving soups, try my chicken tortilla soup for one, chicken stew for one, or Italian wedding soup for one.
Ingredient Notes
Here’s what goes into this small batch chicken tortellini soup, plus a few notes on why each one matters. If you have any ingredients left over, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
Olive oil: Just enough to brown the chicken and start the vegetables.
Chicken: Use a 5 to 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh, cut into 1-inch pieces. To save time, use cooked or rotisserie chicken and stir it in near the end just to warm through. Use extra chicken in chicken tikka masala for one or chicken Parmesan for one.
Chicken broth: Low-sodium chicken broth is the base and lets you control the salt. Regular broth works too; just hold back on the added salt and taste at the end. Leftover broth is great in split pea soup for one or coq au vin for one.
Carrot, celery, and onion: These soften and build flavor. A clove of garlic goes in with them for depth.
Flour: A spoonful of all-purpose flour stirred into the vegetables thickens the broth just enough to give the soup body and keep it from being thin.
Italian seasoning: A pinch adds the herby, Italian flavor. If you’re out, use a mix of basil, oregano, and thyme.
Cheese tortellini: Refrigerated cheese tortellini cook in just a few minutes, so they’re what I reach for. Frozen or dried work too; just cook them a little longer. For a simpler broth-and-pasta version, try my single serving tortellini en brodo, and for the sausage version, my single serving tortellini soup.
Spinach: Fresh spinach wilts in at the end for color and a mild green flavor. Arugula or kale work too.
Parmesan (optional): A little grated Parmesan on top adds a salty, nutty finish.
Recipe Variations
Here are a few simple ways to change up this single serve chicken tortellini soup, whether you want to save time, add richness, or brighten the flavor.
Use Rotisserie Chicken
Skip browning the raw chicken and stir in shredded rotisserie or leftover cooked chicken near the end, just long enough to warm it through.
Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup
Stir in 2 tablespoons of heavy cream at the end, after the soup comes off the boil and is simmering. Adding it once the heat is down keeps the cream smooth instead of letting it separate in the hot broth.
Add Lemon
Stir in a squeeze of fresh lemon juice just before serving for a bright, fresh finish.
Add More Vegetables
Stir in about ¼ cup sliced mushrooms, chopped zucchini, or peas along with the carrots and celery.
How To Make Chicken Tortellini Soup For One
These step-by-step photos show how to make this simple chicken tortellini soup. Scroll to the recipe card for the full ingredient amounts.
- Season the chicken. Toss the chicken pieces with the salt and black pepper.
- Brown the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 6 minutes, turning halfway, until browned on the outside. Remove it to a plate and set aside.
- Cook the vegetables. If the pot is dry, add a little more oil. Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring now and then, for 5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes.
- Simmer the soup. Add the broth, the browned chicken, and the Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the carrots are tender and the chicken is cooked through.
- Add the tortellini. Uncover and stir in the tortellini. Simmer for 4 minutes, until tender.
- Add the spinach. Stir in the spinach and cook for 2 minutes, until wilted.
- Serve. Ladle the soup into a bowl and top with grated or shredded Parmesan.
Expert Tips
Brown the chicken before it simmers. Searing the chicken pieces in the hot pot first keeps them moist through the simmer, so they don’t turn dry and tough.
Add a Parmesan rind for deeper flavor. Drop a Parmesan rind into the broth as it simmers, then fish it out before serving. It gives the soup a richer, saltier flavor.
Don’t overcook the tortellini. Add them near the end and simmer just until tender, about 4 minutes. Left too long in the broth, they turn soft and lose their shape.
Taste and adjust the salt at the end. Broth saltiness varies by brand, and the Parmesan adds salt of its own, so taste the finished soup before adding more.
Troubleshooting
If your chicken tortellini soup isn’t turning out quite right, here is how to fix common issues.
Why is my chicken tortellini soup too thick?
The tortellini soak up broth as they sit, so the soup thickens over time. Stir in a splash of chicken broth to loosen it back to the consistency you want, adding a little at a time until it’s right.
Why is my chicken dry?
Dry chicken usually means it cooked too long. Brown the pieces just until the outside turns lightly golden, then let them finish gently in the simmering broth, where they stay moist and tender.
Why did my tortellini turn mushy?
Tortellini go soft when they cook too long or sit in hot broth. Simmer them just until tender, about 4 minutes, and serve the soup soon after. If you’re saving some for later, cook the tortellini separately and add them to each bowl.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chicken tortellini soup lasts up to 3 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. The tortellini keep absorbing broth as they sit, so stir in a splash of broth when you reheat to loosen it.
Yes. Skip browning the raw chicken and stir in shredded rotisserie or leftover cooked chicken near the end, just long enough to warm it through.
Yes. Frozen tortellini work well. Add them straight to the simmering broth and cook a couple of minutes longer than refrigerated, until tender.
It’s best to freeze the soup without the tortellini, since the cooked pasta turns mushy once thawed. Freeze the broth, chicken, and vegetables for up to 3 months, then add fresh tortellini when you reheat.
Yes. Make the soup through the simmer step and refrigerate it without the tortellini. Cook the tortellini fresh when you reheat so they hold their shape.
Double every ingredient and use a 3.5 to 4-quart pot. The cooking times stay about the same, just bring the larger amount of broth back to a simmer before adding the tortellini.
Chicken tortellini soup pairs well with bread or a simple salad. Try it with a small loaf of French bread, a Caesar salad for one, or small batch cheddar biscuits.
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:
If you’ve tried this single serving chicken tortellini soup recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
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 ¾ cup)
- ½ cup fresh spinach – chopped
- Optional: shredded Parmesan cheese, for topping
Instructions
- Toss the chicken pieces in a bowl with ⅛ teaspoon of the salt and the black pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 6 minutes, turning halfway, until browned on the outside. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- If the pot is dry, add ½ tablespoon more olive oil. Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and the remaining ⅛ teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften.
- Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the broth, the browned chicken, and the Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender and the chicken is cooked through.
- Uncover and stir in the tortellini. Simmer for 4 minutes, until tender.
- Stir in the spinach and cook for 2 minutes, until wilted. Ladle into a bowl and top with Parmesan.
Notes
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.
This was wonderful – will be making again and again but in a double batch!
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.