Description

This creamy chicken pesto tortellini soup is made with plenty of herbs, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, tortellini, broth, white wine, cream, and kale. It comes together quickly, and you can even use leftover cooked chicken or turkey from Thanksgiving or Christmas. It is guaranteed to warm you right up!

Ingredients

Scale

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs (organic if possible)
1/3 cup pesto
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc
250 grams cheese tortellini
4 cups chopped spinach or kale
1/2 cup heavy cream
Lemon wedges and chopped fresh parsley or basil, for garnish

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Instructions

Warm the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and red pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for five minutes. Add the herbs, hot red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Push the vegetables off to one side. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pot. Sear for five minutes on each side.
Stir in the pesto and sun-dried tomatoes, followed by the broth and wine. Bring to boil, then turn down heat to medium-low and loosely cover with the lid. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for fifteen minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Remove the chicken from the pot. Once cool enough to handle, finely chop or shred it. Return it to the pot. Bring back to a boil and add the tortellini. Cook for 1-2 minutes, according to the directions on the package.
Finally, stir in the spinach or kale and heavy cream. Once the greens are wilted and bright green, remove from the heat and serve.
Garnish bowls of soup with lemon wedges and fresh herbs. Enjoy!

Notes

When reheating leftovers, you will want to add more broth, as the tortellini soaks it up the longer the soup sits.

If you prefer to use bone-in and skin-on chicken, that’s totally fine. It just isn’t typically available where I buy organic chicken, unfortunately- otherwise, I would definitely use it!

If using leftover cooked chicken or turkey, add it right before you add the tortellini.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Category: Main Course

Keywords: chicken pesto tortellini soup recipe