Chicken Tortellini White Bean Soup is a comforting easy soup recipe perfect for lunch or dinner.
If you love eating a hot bowl of soup when the weather turns chilly this chicken soup recipe is perfect.
I love a good chicken noodle soup but sometimes I crave a soup with a bit more comfort. Cheese tortellini is a perfect substitution when I get bored with plain noodles.
This homemade soup has a rich broth packed full of flavor and is so easy to make you can have it on the table in about about an hour.
It is even faster to make if you use leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken!
I make homemade soup all year long. It is a meal I love to eat for lunch or dinner any time of the year.
This recipe was originally share on February 24, 2013 and has been updated September 25, 2021 with new photos and information.
How to make Chicken Tortellini and White Bean Soup
The ingredient list for this soup recipe is short. Scroll down to the recipe card where can find all the ingredient amounts.
- butter
- vegetables: carrots, celery, small onion, (fresh baby spinach leaves, optional)
- seasonings: minced garlic, sea salt, black pepper, parsley flakes
- protein: boneless skinless chicken
- chicken broth
- bay leaves
- canned: whole tomatoes, cannellini beans
- tortellini: cheese tortellini- frozen, fresh or dry tortellini will work.
Directions
Step 1: Melt the butter in an 8 quart Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat.
Step 2: Add the sliced carrots, sliced celery, diced onion, minced garlic to the Dutch oven. Sauté until the onion is translucent.
Step 3: Add the seasonings to the pot and stir.
Step 4: Add the chicken to the pot and pour 6 cups of the chicken broth into the pot.
Don't forget the bay leaves! This is one of the most important ingredients when making homemade soup.
Step 5: Bring the soup ingredients to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover the pot. Simmer until chicken is cooked through.
Step 6: Once the chicken is cooked remove it from the pot. Dice or shred the chicken.
Step 7: Return the diced chicken to the pot. Add the chopped tomatoes, white beans and cheese tortellini to the pot. If using fresh spinach add it to the pot also.
Step 8: Pour the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth into the pot.
Simmer the soup until the tomato, beans and tortellini are heated through.
Serve the soup with crusty bread or crackers. My homemade no knead garlic rosemary bread goes great with soup.
Recipe Expert Tips
- Always cook raw chicken until it has reached an internal temperature of 165 F. degrees.
- Cheese tortellini: If using dry tortellini cook and drain before adding to the soup. If using frozen tortellini thaw in cold water and drain before adding to the pot.
- Fresh spinach is delicious add in to this soup.
- Substitutions: small cheese ravioli can be used instead of cheese tortellini
- Chicken: boneless skinless chicken thighs, left over roasted chicken or rotisserie chicken can be used instead of raw chicken breast.
- Immediately remove the pot from the heat after adding the tortellini to prevent the pasta from over cooking.
Alternate cooking methods
- Instant Pot directions: Add all of the ingredients except the tortellini to the insert pot of the Instant Pot. Cover, set the valve to sealing. Cook for 7 minutes on manual. Open and remove the chicken. Shred or dice. Return the chicken to the pot and stir in the tortellini. Serve once the tortellini is hot.
- Slow cooker directions: Follow the same directions as for the Instant Pot. Cover and slow cook on high for 1 ½ to 2 hours. Shred the chicken and return to the pot. Stir in the tortellini. Place the lid on so the tortellini heats up. Serve once the pasta is hot.
- Cooked chicken: If using cooked chicken for this recipe add all of the ingredients except the tortellini to the pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about fifteen minutes before adding the tortellini. Serve once the tortillini is hot.
More soup recipes
Check out these other soup recipes you can try.
Print the Chicken Tortellini and White Bean Soup below
Chicken Tortellini White Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup carrot (peeled and sliced)
- ¼ cup sliced celery
- 1 small white onion (peeled and diced)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1 large boneless chicken breast ((about 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken))
- 64 ounces low sodium chicken broth, divided ((two 32 oz. cartons))
- 2 large bay leaves
- 14 oz. canned whole tomatoes, drained well, roughly chopped
- 15 ounce cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 ½ cups Cheese Tortellini ((if using frozen thaw before using))
- 1 handful baby spinach leaves (optional)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in an 8 quart Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat.
- Add the sliced carrots, sliced celery, diced onion, minced garlic to the Dutch oven. Sauté until the onion is translucent.
- Add the chicken to the pot and pour 6 cups of the chicken broth into the pot.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover the pot. Simmer until chicken is cooked through.
- Once the chicken is cooked remove it from the pot. Dice or shred the chicken.
- Return the chicken to the pot.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, white beans and cheese tortellini to the pot.
- Pour the remaining chicken broth into the pot.
- Simmer the soup until the tomato, beans and tortellini are heated through.
- Remove from heat as soon as the tortellini is hot to prevent over cooking the pasta.
- Serve with bread or crackers.
Video
Recipe Expert Tips
- Always cook raw chicken until it has reached an internal temperature of 165 F. degrees.
- Cheese tortellini: If using dry tortellini cook and drain before adding to the soup. If using frozen tortellini thaw in cold water and drain before adding to the pot.
- Fresh spinach is delicious add in to this soup.
- Substitutions: small cheese ravioli can be used instead of cheese tortellini
- Chicken: boneless skinless chicken thighs, left over roasted chicken or rotisserie chicken can be used instead of raw chicken breast.
- Immediately remove the pot from the heat after adding the tortellini to prevent the pasta from over cooking.
- Instant Pot directions: Add all of the ingredients except the tortellini to the insert pot of the Instant Pot. Cover, set the valve to sealing. Cook for 7 minutes on manual. Open and remove the chicken. Shred or dice. Return the chicken to the pot and stir in the tortellini. Serve once the tortellini is hot.
- Slow cooker directions: Follow the same directions as for the Instant Pot. Cover and slow cook on high for 1 ½ to 2 hours. Shred the chicken and return to the pot. Stir in the tortellini. Place the lid on so the tortellini heats up. Serve once the pasta is hot.
- Cooked chicken: If using cooked chicken for this recipe add all of the ingredients except the tortellini to the pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about fifteen minutes before adding the tortellini. Serve once the tortellini is hot.
Nutrition
Faye Leong
Wonderful chicken soup! Love the idea of using crock pot too!
Linda@There and Back Again
Your soup looks delicious! So Italian, and a lovely combo of flavors. I think people should use more beans in soup.
Flour On My Face
Linda
Thank you so much. I love to add beans to all my soups. It's so easy to change up a recipe just by changing the type of beans you include.
Family Foodie
You have combined some of my favorite ingredients and I can not wait to try this beautiful recipe. Your pics look amazing!
Flour On My Face
Isabel
Thank you so much!
Laura | Small Wallet, Big Appetite
I am the same way when it comes to soup, I very rarely use a recipe. It is a fantastic way to use up leftovers. I absolutely love tortellini so this soup sounds amazing
Flour On My Face
Laura
Thank you.
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom
I'm with you. . I love using my crock pot! Does all the work for you, love it!
Crystal
mmm this looks delicious! i love pasta in my soup 🙂
Angie @ Big Bear's Wife
ooooooooo it looks wonderful!
Renee
I've had tortellini in pasta salads but never thought of it in soups. I really don't know why. Thanks for the inspiration and it is a lovely soup. Love the white beans.
Bea
This looks like the perfect bowl to warm you up 🙂
Courtney @ Neighborfood
Oh man! I could really use some 80 degree temps right now! That sounds amazing! Guess I'm just going to have to warm up with delicious soup for now. 🙂
Sarah
I LOVE tortellini! This soup/stew looks delicious
Liz
Mmmmmm....cheese tortellini! Yup, I must make this soup, too!!! Hearty enough for the hubby to love it, too!
Donna
Ah, I adore a good chicken soup. The tortellini is a nice addition.
Cindy's Recipes and Writings
Love tortellini in soup!
Conni @FoodieArmyWife
It's funny - here it can actually get down to the 40s at night in the middle of summer! 🙂 That's a perk to living in Alaksa...it can be soup weather ANYTIME!
Paula @ Vintage Kitchen
I really like the combo of broth and filled pasta. This soup is spot on! Very nice recipe.