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This Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup with Alfredo is a one-pot meal perfect for a cold winter night. It’s packed with tender broccoli, a parmesan-laced cream sauce, seared chicken, and cheesy tortellini. Creamy and comforting!
Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup with Alfredo
Every week I find myself gravitating towards a new way to keep me warm, and every week, without fail, that way is a steaming bowl of soup. We’ve had Creamy Potato Soup, Minestrone with Chicken Meatballs, and Creamy Corn and Sweet Potato Chowder showcased here in recent weeks. Cheater Wonton Soup is coming soon, and it’s a keeper for sure. In addition to those, I’ve also had a steady lunch of store-bought ramen noodles packed with frozen stir-fry veggies and fresh spinach – my go-to sort-of-healthy cheater lunch in cooler months.
Today, my two favorite comfort foods – fettuccine Alfredo and soup – meet in the middle for a Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup with Alfredo worthy of any cold winter day.
When I say I love soups of all kinds, I’m not fabricating. However, I do have a soft spot in my heart for something that errs on the creamy side. Especially when it involves hints of parmesan cheese, broccoli (my favorite veggie!), and cheese tortellini. I’ve always had this weird affection for Alfredo sauce.
It’s one of things I could slather on just about anything (including this pizza), but it never even occurred to me to transform it into a soup until recently. I wish I could say where the inspiration came from, but it was just one of those lightbulb moments, and the recipe basically wrote itself in under 30 seconds.
Ingredients in Easy Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Soup
- heavily seasoned seared chicken tenders
- a blend of chicken broth and half and half (you can use cream – whatever you’ve got on hand)
- tender broccoli
- plenty of garlic
- parmesan cheese
- refrigerated tortellini
- plenty of salt and pepper
What I love about this, is it does indeed mimic the taste of Alfredo sauce, but it is much lighter in nature…and calories. While I wouldn’t call this “health” food by any means, an almost equal amount of chicken stock and half and half make for a much more figure-friendly dish that still feels indulgent.
Other reasons I adore Easy Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Soup
- One pot. From searing the chicken to simmering the veggies to cooking the tortellini. Everything happens in one dish.
- Kid-friendly. My 10 month old and two year old DEVOURED this.
- Short ingredient list, maximum flavor.
- It’s even better the next day!
- 30-minutes from start to finish
So until I thaw out from winter, I’ll be slurping this up incessantly.
Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 1 lb chicken tenders
- 2 large garlic cloves, grated
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 cups warm chicken stock
- 2 cups warm half and half
- 1/2 tsp coarse kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 3 cups frozen broccoli
- 1 1/2 cups refrigerated cheese tortellini
Equipment
- stock pot
Instructions
- Heat a stock pot to a medium heat. I like to use a medium dutch oven. Generously season chicken tenders on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Add 1 tablespoon butter to the pan. Sear chicken tenders until golden brown on both sides, and cooked through. About 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside to cool slightly.
- Add remaining butter to pot. Once the butter has melted, turn the heat down to low and add garlic. Cook for 30 seconds, then whisk in flour. It will clump up, don't worry! Cook the raw flour taste out for 1-2 minutes. Take the pot off of the burner. SLOWLY whisk in about 3/4 cup of the broth, whisking vigorously to ensure there are no lumps. Gradually add the remaining broth in while whisking. Whisk in warm half and half.
- Add salt and black pepper, and bring the mixture until to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 5-6 minutes. Whisk in parmesan cheese. Continue to whisk until cheese has melted and soup has thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Add the broccoli and tortellini. Continue to simmer until tortellini is soft, about 5-7 minutes.
- While the soup simmers, chop the chicken into bite-seized pieces. Once the pasta is cooked and broccoli is soft, add chicken. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with grated parmesan cheese and black pepper.
Nutrition Information
Brenna says
Super delish! I sauteed chopped chicken breast, used roasted, fresh broccoli and sliced onion and Trader Joe’s arugula and parmigiano-reggiano ravioli. Oh, heaven!! Thank you for sharing!!
Joni King says
Made this tonight and LOVED it!!! Perfect for a cold evening!