Easy Chicken Alfredo Tortellini Soup (with Mushrooms & Spinach)

• Comfort food at its best - a creamy and wonderfully umami Alfredo soup with Parmesan and nutmeg, tender shredded chicken, mushrooms and spinach.
• A 20 minute one-pan dish that maximises flavour and keeps washing up to a minimum
• Puts leftover chicken to a good use.
• Make-ahead friendly - you can store the cooked soup in the fridge for up to 3 days.

This cosy soup is made with everyday ingredients. You should be able to find them all at your local store.

• Tortellini - I often opt for something vegetarian and cheesy like spinach and ricotta or mushroom as I find the meat varieties a little heavy in this soup. You can use fresh or frozen tortellini, ravioli or a variety of short non-filled pasta like fusilli or orecchiette for a lighter option.
• Mushrooms - choose the ones you like the most. I tend to use chestnut mushrooms because I like their earthy flavour, but you could also use white mushrooms, portobello or porcini.
• Parmesan - another hard nutty cheese like pecorino or Grana Padano will also work well.
• Chicken - I often use leftover roast chicken. If you don't have leftovers to hand roast or poach a chicken leg or a couple of thighs. You could also add cooked ham, bacon or pancetta to the soup instead of chicken.

Fry the mushrooms in melted butter on a high heat until they begin to brown and set aside.

2. Make the roux

Add more butter to the pan, cook the garlic for a minute until fragrant and stir in the flour to form a thick paste.

3. Make the creamy Alfredo soup

Add the chicken stock gradually and stir continuously to get rid of any lumps. Then stir in the cream, nutmeg and black pepper.

4. Tortellini, spinach mushrooms and chicken

Increase the heat to simmer and add the tortellini and spinach. Add the cooked mushrooms and chicken and serve immediately.

With protein-filled chicken, a healthy portion of green veg and yummy umami mushrooms, this hearty tortellini soup is a meal in itself. Here are a few side-dish options for those looking to add something extra:

• Bread: dunk crusty bread into the creamy Alfredo soup use it to soak up the remaining soup as you finish.
• Salad: a simple green side salad with a tangy lemon-based or balsamic dressing breaks up the richness of the creamy soup.
• Green veggies: a portion of baked green veggies to make your meal even more nutritious.

1. Add the chicken stock gradually and keep stirring to avoid lumps.
2. Cook the tortellini separately if you need to. There should be enough liquid in the pan to cook the tortellini in the soup, however, if you are using a wide-bottomed pan you might not have enough. Cook the tortellini in a separate pan if this is the case so that it doesn't stick to the bottom.
3. Add more stock if you need to - feel free to add a little extra stock to the soup if you find there isn't enough liquid after you have cooked the tortellini and spinach.

Because ravioli and tortellini are both filled pasta of a similar consistency, they can be used interchangeably in most dishes including soup. Tortellini tends to be smaller so is a better option if you want the pasta in your soup to be bite-sized.

This depends on the type of pasta you are using and the consistency and amount of liquid in your pan. Fresh pasta or filled pastas like ravioli and tortellini that only require a few minutes of cooking time can be cooked in the soup as long as it is not too thick. If your soup is of a thicker consistency or you don't have a lot of liquid it's best to cook the pasta in another pan to avoid it sticking to the bottom.

Soups that do not contain dairy products like milk and cream can be frozen before the tortellini is added. Freezing can cause creamy sauces to separate and starchy sauces made with flour can also be much thinner when defrosted.

Add more stock or water to thin out a thick soup. Stir in extra cream, cheese or add more roux to thicken a soup that is too thin.

The cooked soup can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated on the stove or in the microwave.

Unfortunately, cream-based soups don't do well in the freezer because the cream can separate, resulting in a grainy texture.

A hearty bowl of soup can be just what you need on a cold winter's day (or at any other time of year). If you enjoyed this chicken Alfredo tortellini soup, you should try my other soup recipes including this Mexican Street Corn Soup and my Easy Chicken Ramen.

Sopa De Elote Recipe (Mexican Street Corn Soup)

Easy Weeknight Chicken Ramen Recipe

Spicy Carrot and Parsnip Soup

Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup Recipe

Did you try this recipe? It would be really great if you could leave a comment and a star rating ⭐️. I would love to receive your feedback and know that other readers find it helpful too.