Creamy Italian Chicken Soup–Instant Pot or slow cooker soup with tender chicken, cheese-filled tortellini, sundried tomato pesto, ricotta, spinach and Parmesan cheese.
Creamy Italian Chicken Soup
This soup is one of those recipes that feels fancy but is secretly very low effort. I loved how quickly it came together, especially in the Instant Pot. The flavors are spot on! I love the sundried tomato pesto…find it in the aisle next to pasta sauces. Blend your ricotta or cottage cheese until smooth to get that creamy texture. You can use fresh or frozen tortellini. Just follow the package directions for how long to cook. Enjoy!
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Chicken broth–or water and Better Than Bouillon chicken base
- Onions–or shallot
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs–or boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Italian seasoning
- Minced garlic–or 1 tsp garlic powder
- Sundried tomato pesto–or plain basil pesto
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Tortellini–fresh or frozen
- Ricotta cheese–or cottage cheese
- Lemon juice
- Spinach–or kale
- Shredded Parmesan cheese–or Pecorino Romano
Steps
Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting and add in the broth so it can start heating up while you prepare the other ingredients. Bring the broth to a boil.
Add in the onions, chicken, Italian seasoning, garlic, pesto, salt and pepper.
Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set SOUP button to 3 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting and stir in the tortellini until cooked through (mine took 3 minutes). Turn off sauté setting.
Add a cup of hot broth to a blender with the ricotta and lemon juice and blend until smooth. Stir it into the Instant Pot along with the spinach and parmesan.
Ladle into bowls and serve.
Notes/Tips
- Serve with breadsticks, crusty bread or toasted buttered baguette slices.
- For an even creamier soup, increase the ricotta to 1½ cups or add ½ cup of heavy cream along with the ricotta mixture.
- Leftover rotisserie chicken works great here too!
- I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in an 8 quart pot.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Because of the tortellini and dairy, freezing isn’t ideal.
- Other recipes you can make with sundried tomato pesto are Dump and Marry Me Casserole and Therapy Casserole.
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.
Creamy Italian Chicken Soup
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes (plus 10 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Instant Pot or slow cooker soup with tender chicken, cheese-filled tortellini, sundried tomato pesto, ricotta, spinach and Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 24 oz boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into bites size pieces
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1/4 cup sundried tomato pesto
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 18 oz frozen or fresh tortellini
- 1 cup ricotta or cottage cheese
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 cup chopped spinach
- 1 cup shredded parmesan
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting and add in the broth so it can start heating up while you prepare the other ingredients. Bring the broth to a boil.
- Add in the onions, chicken, Italian seasoning, garlic, pesto, salt and pepper.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set SOUP button to 3 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting and stir in the tortellini until cooked through (mine took 3 minutes). Turn off sauté setting.
- Add a cup of hot broth to a blender with the ricotta and lemon juice and blend until smooth. Stir it into the Instant Pot along with the spinach and parmesan.
- Ladle into bowls and serve.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Add broth, onions, chicken, Italian seasoning, garlic, pesto, salt and pepper to the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.
- Stir in the tortellini and let cook for about 10 minutes.
- Add a cup of hot broth to a blender with the ricotta and lemon juice and blend until smooth. Stir it into the slow cooker along with the spinach and parmesan.
- Ladle into bowls and serve.
- Category: Chicken, Soup
- Method: Instant Pot, Slow Cooker
More chicken soups to try…
Instant Pot Crack Chicken Soup
A creamy soup flavored with ranch dressing mix and packed with chicken, carrots, celery, onions, potatoes, cream cheese and bacon. Like crack chicken but in a soup form!
Marry Me Chicken Soup
A creamy tomato-basil chicken soup made in the Instant Pot (or slow cooker!). The ditalini, cream cheese and sun-dried tomato pesto make it taste like a fancy café soup with minimal effort.
The Best Chicken Soup
Healing chicken soup made with tender chicken thighs, carrots, spinach, warming ginger and turmeric, and finished with tiny pasta or couscous, all cooked quickly in the Instant Pot or low and slow in the crockpot.
Sicilian Chicken Soup
A light but satisfying chicken soup made with tender shredded chicken, vegetables, ditalini pasta and more. Make it in the Instant Pot or slow cooker.
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
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