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Tortellini Chicken Noodle Soup: comforting family favorite, quick and nurturing.
A week before our first child was due, life felt like a whirlwind of anticipation and swaddling tutorials. My partner suggested a big batch of something comforting — enter Tortellini Chicken Noodle Soup. That evening, I remembered the first dorm meal I'd ever cooked. My college self would be proud of our pantry now, brimming with olive oil, minced garlic, and cans of low-sodium chicken broth. The trifecta of carrots, celery, and onion was a staple I learned early on, the holy trinity of most good soups.
As the olive oil simmered, the aroma of chopped veggies filled the room, and I realized this soup would be part of our soon-to-be family’s tradition. I tossed in the shredded rotisserie chicken — a hack from my working days when time was scarce but flavor was essential. Finally, the tortellini, my favorite little pockets of cheesy delight. Just before serving, I remembered to fish out the parsley mound, a trick learned from a late-night cooking show, ensuring the broth remained clear.
With each ladle, I saw the blend of my past and future. We sat down to eat, imagining the days when our child might slurp this same soup on a cold day. The dish was more than sustenance; it was a warm welcome to a new chapter, a nod to the messy joy of expanding our family, one spoonful at a time.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups carrots chopped
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 1 cup yellow onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 (14.5 ounce) cans low sodium-chicken broth
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 12 ounces refrigerated three cheese tortellini
- 1/2 cup packed parsley stems and all, plus more of the leaves for serving
- 2 1/2-3 cups rotisserie chicken shredded
Directions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add the carrots, celery and onion, sauteing for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in the chicken broth and Italian seasoning.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat before covering.
- Boil for 5 minutes.
- Add the tortellini and place the parsley in a mound submerged in the broth on top of the tortellini.
- Cover the pot and boil for 6-8 minutes longer or one minute less than the time listed on the package instructions of the tortellini.
- Using tongs, remove the parsley.
- Stir in the chicken, cooking until heated through, about 1 minute.
- Serve warm, topped with chopped fresh parsley leaves.
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