Are you looking for the ultimate cozy and comforting soup that is absolutely packed with protein to keep you full and satisfied for hours? A rich, creamy, and deeply flavorful one-pot meal that the whole family will love? This incredible Creamy Chicken and Tortellini Soup is the recipe you’ve been waiting for! And the secret to its luscious, velvety broth isn’t a ton of heavy cream—it’s a brilliant, healthy hack using blended cottage cheese!
This isn’t just another soup recipe; it’s your new secret weapon for a hearty, healthy, and completely irresistible dinner. We’ll show you the simple but crucial secrets to a flawless, from-scratch creamy soup that is loaded with chicken, cheesy tortellini, and a savory, Southwestern-inspired broth. This is a restaurant-quality soup that is surprisingly simple to make at home.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Creamy & Protein-Packed Soup
What makes this Chicken Tortellini Soup so spectacularly delicious is its incredible, creamy texture and its wonderfully rich and savory flavor, all achieved with wholesome, protein-packed ingredients. This soup is a masterpiece of comfort food genius. The flavor foundation is a classic, aromatic blend of sautéed peppers and onions, seasoned with a warm, smoky mix of chili powder and cumin. The soup is loaded with tender, diced chicken, cheesy tortellini, and sweet, fire-roasted corn. The true magic, however, is the broth. Instead of relying solely on heavy cream, this recipe uses blended cottage cheese, which transforms into an unbelievably smooth, rich, and creamy base that is packed with protein.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 45 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 6-8 |
The Protein Powerhouses: The Essential Ingredients
This iconic dish uses a handful of smart shortcuts and high-quality ingredients to create its signature comforting and cheesy flavor.
- The “Secret” Creamy Base (Blended Cottage Cheese!):
- This is the brilliant, healthy hack that makes this soup so special! When you blend cottage cheese in a blender, the curds break down and it transforms into an unbelievably smooth, creamy, and tangy base that is a fantastic, high-protein, and lower-fat substitute for a large amount of heavy cream. A full-fat cottage cheese will yield the creamiest result.
- The Protein Trio: This soup is a true powerhouse, thanks to a triple-threat of protein.
- Cooked Chicken: Using pre-cooked, diced chicken is a fantastic time-saver. A store-bought rotisserie chicken is a convenient and flavorful choice.
- Cheese Tortellini: Using a package of your favorite refrigerated cheese tortellini is an easy shortcut that adds a wonderful, cheesy, and satisfying bite, and makes the soup a complete meal.
- The Vegetables & Spices:
- Fire-Roasted Corn & Tomatoes: Using canned, fire-roasted vegetables is a fantastic shortcut that adds an instant, deep, and smoky flavor to the soup with zero extra effort.
- Tajín Seasoning: This is a classic and popular Mexican seasoning blend made from mild chili peppers, dehydrated lime, and sea salt. It adds a wonderful, unique, tangy, and zesty kick that is the hallmark of many classic Southwestern dishes.
Step-by-Step to the Best Creamy Tortellini Soup
This delicious, one-pot soup is incredibly simple to prepare.
Step 1: Sauté the Aromatics and Bloom the Spices
In a large Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the 1 tablespoon of avocado oil over a medium-high heat. Add your 2 cups of diced bell peppers, your 1 cup of diced onion, and your 1 tablespoon of minced garlic. Sauté until the onions begin to soften.
Sprinkle the 1 tablespoon of chili powder, the 1 teaspoon of cumin, the 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne, and the 2 teaspoons of salt on the vegetables. Stir well and continue to sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the spices are very fragrant.
Part 2: Simmer the Soup
Step 1: Add your 12 ounces of frozen corn, the 1 can of fire-roasted tomatoes, the 6 cups of chicken broth, and the 2 cups of diced, cooked chicken to the pot. Stir everything together and allow the soup to come to a low boil.
Step 2: Let the soup cook for about 5 minutes to allow all the delicious flavors to meld together.
Part 3: The Creamy Finish
Step 1: While the soup is simmering, prepare your creamy base. In a blender, blend your 1 1/2 cups of cottage cheese until it is completely smooth. Step 2 (The Secret to a Non-Curdled Sauce!): To temper the cottage cheese, add about 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup of the hot broth from your soup to the blended cottage cheese and whisk it vigorously. Pro Tip: This is a crucial step! By slowly raising the temperature of the cottage cheese before you add it to the hot pot, you are preventing it from getting shocked by the heat, which is the key that will keep your soup beautifully smooth and creamy, and prevent it from curdling. Step 3: Slowly pour the tempered cottage cheese mixture into the soup, stirring constantly until it is completely incorporated. Step 4: Add your 18 ounces of refrigerated cheese tortellini to the pot and let the soup continue to simmer gently for about 5 more minutes, until the tortellini is cooked through and tender.
Serve the hot, creamy soup immediately with a fresh squeeze of lime juice and a sprinkle of shredded cheese.
High-Protein Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup
A hearty and ‘protein-packed’ creamy soup featuring chicken and cheese tortellini with a Southwestern flair. The recipe uses a unique, healthy method to create a creamy base by blending cottage cheese until smooth. The soup starts with a flavor base of sautéed bell peppers and onions, seasoned with chili powder and cumin. This is simmered with chicken broth, fire-roasted tomatoes, corn, and cooked chicken. Refrigerated cheese tortellini and the blended cottage cheese are stirred in at the end to create a rich and satisfying one-pot meal.
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 medium bell peppers, diced
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 12 ounces frozen corn
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups diced cooked chicken breast
- 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
- 18 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini
- Lime juice and shredded cheese, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the avocado oil over medium-high heat. Add the diced peppers, onions, and minced garlic. Sauté until the onions begin to soften.
- Sprinkle the chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and salt over the vegetables. Stir well and sauté for another 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the frozen corn, the undrained fire-roasted tomatoes, the chicken broth, and the cooked chicken to the pot. Stir and allow the soup to come to a low boil.
- Let the soup cook for 5 minutes.
- While the soup is cooking, place the cottage cheese in a blender and blend until completely smooth and creamy.
- Temper the cottage cheese by whisking 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the hot broth from the soup into it.
- Slowly pour the tempered cottage cheese mixture back into the soup, stirring constantly until it is fully incorporated.
- Add the refrigerated tortellini to the soup and allow it to cook for 5 minutes, or according to package directions, until tender.
- Serve warm with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and a sprinkle of shredded cheese, if desired.
Notes
- This recipe uses blended cottage cheese as a high-protein secret ingredient to create a creamy soup base without relying solely on heavy cream.
- Tempering the blended cottage cheese with a small amount of hot broth before adding it to the pot is a crucial step to prevent it from curdling.
- Using pre-cooked chicken and refrigerated tortellini are key shortcuts that make this a quick and easy weeknight meal.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Make-Ahead: For a super-fast and impressive weeknight meal, you can get a head start by chopping all your vegetables and cooking your chicken up to a day in advance.
- Storage: Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The tortellini may absorb more of the broth as it sits.
- Reheating: The best way to reheat a creamy soup is to do so gently in a saucepan on the stovetop over a low heat. You will likely need to add a generous splash of broth or milk to loosen the soup and bring back its original, creamy consistency.
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Creative Recipe Variations
- Make it a Vegetarian Soup: For a delicious and hearty vegetarian version, you can simply omit the chicken and use a high-quality, savory vegetable broth. Be sure to also use a cheese or a spinach-and-ricotta tortellini.
- Use a Different Protein: If you’re not a fan of shredded chicken, this delicious and versatile soup is also absolutely fantastic with about 1 pound of browned and crumbled Italian sausage or some seasoned ground turkey.
- Add Some Leafy Greens: For a beautiful pop of color and some extra nutrients, you can add a few large handfuls of fresh baby spinach or chopped kale to the soup during the last few minutes of simmering and let it wilt.
Enjoy The Ultimate Creamy & Protein-Packed Soup!
You’ve just created a truly special soup that is a perfect harmony of wholesome, classic ingredients and delicious, satisfying flavors. This Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup is a testament to the power of a simple, from-scratch-tasting meal to be both incredibly fast and wonderfully comforting. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying recipe that is sure to become a new, much-requested family favorite for cozy dinners.
We hope you enjoy every last, warm, and delicious bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves an easy and impressive meal!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a super creamy soup using blended cottage cheese?
The secret is to temper the cottage cheese before you add it to the hot soup. By whisking a small amount of the hot broth into your blended cottage cheese first, you are gently and slowly raising its temperature. This prevents the cottage cheese from getting “shocked” by the hot liquid, which is the key that keeps it from curdling or separating and ensures a perfectly smooth and velvety final texture.
Q2: Can I make this soup ahead of time?
This soup is at its absolute best when it is served fresh, so the tortellini is perfectly tender. However, you can save a ton of time by preparing the entire soup base (with the chicken and the vegetables) ahead of time and storing it in the refrigerator. When you are ready to eat, you can simply bring the base to a simmer and proceed with adding the cottage cheese and the fresh tortellini.
Q3: Can I freeze this soup?
Because this soup contains both dairy (cottage cheese) and pasta (tortellini), it is not an ideal candidate for freezing. The texture of both the cream-based broth and the tender tortellini can change significantly upon thawing and reheating, often becoming a bit grainy or mushy.
Q4: Can I make this recipe in a slow cooker or an Instant Pot?
Yes! To make it in a slow cooker, simply sauté your aromatics on the stovetop first. Then, transfer them and all the other ingredients (except for the cottage cheese and the tortellini) to your slow cooker and cook on Low for 4-6 hours or on High for 2-3 hours. Stir in the tempered cottage cheese and the tortellini during the last 15-20 minutes of cooking. For the Instant Pot, use the “Sauté” function to cook your aromatics. Then, add the chicken, seasonings, and broth, secure the lid, and pressure cook on High for 8 minutes. Perform a quick release, and then stir in the tempered cottage cheese and the tortellini and let it simmer on the “Sauté” function for a few minutes.
Q5: What is the best kind of cottage cheese to use?
For the absolute richest and creamiest result, a full-fat (4%) small curd cottage cheese is the best choice. A 2% or a low-fat cottage cheese will also work, but the final soup will be slightly less rich.