Honey Garlic Chicken Tortellini Soup

This Italian-American dinner recipe combines authentic flavors with modern cooking techniques. Ready in 41 minutes, serves 4 people. Serve with crusty bread and a simple green salad; add a squeeze of lemon if desired.

Cuisine: Italian-American Type: Dinner Time: 41 min Servings: 4 Calories: 650 per serving
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Nutrition Information

Each serving contains approximately 650 calories and 51.0g of protein. Macronutrients include 69.0g carbohydrates and 17.0g fats per serving.

Per Serving

Calories
650
Protein
51.0g
Carbohydrates
69.0g
Fats
17.0g

Total

Calories
2600
Protein
204.0g
Carbohydrates
276.0g
Fats
68.0g

Ingredients

This recipe requires 15 ingredients. All ingredients are commonly available at grocery stores.

  • 500 g Chicken breast
    cut into bite-size pieces
  • 400 g Cheese tortellini
  • 1 tbsp Olive oil
  • 4 cloves Garlic
    minced
  • 1 piece Yellow onion
    finely diced
  • 2 pieces Carrot
    sliced into thin half-moons
  • 2 stalks Celery
    thinly sliced
  • 1200 ml Chicken broth
  • 100 g Spinach
    roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp Honey
  • 1 tbsp Soy sauce
  • 1 tsp Dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Black pepper
  • 300 ml Water

Instructions

Follow these 3 steps to prepare this dish. Each step includes detailed instructions for best results.

1. Prepare the ingredients

  1. Finely dice the onion, slice the carrots and celery, mince the garlic, and roughly chop the spinach. Keep the chicken separate from ready-to-eat ingredients.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk the honey and soy sauce until combined; set aside half for glazing the chicken, keeping it separate from the portion reserved for serving.

2. Cook the chicken and soup

  1. Set a large pot over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Heat until the oil shimmers.
  2. Add the chicken pieces to the hot pot in a single layer and sear, turning occasionally, until golden outside and nearly cooked through, about 5–6 minutes. Transfer to a clean plate.
  3. Toss the browned chicken with half of the honey-garlic glaze. Return it to the pot and cook, stirring, for 1 minute; transfer to a clean plate. This portion is the honey-garlic chicken component.
  4. Add the onion, carrots, celery and half the garlic to the same pot. Cook, stirring often, until the onion softens, about 4 minutes.
  5. Pour in the chicken broth and water. Stir in the dried thyme, salt, black pepper and remaining garlic, scraping up any browned bits.
  6. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer, then cook for 8 minutes so the vegetables become tender but retain shape.
  7. Add the tortellini to the gently simmering broth and cook according to its package directions, usually 3–5 minutes, until tender but still intact.
  8. Stir in the honey-garlic chicken and chopped spinach; simmer gently until the chicken reaches 74°C and the spinach wilts, about 3 minutes.

3. Finish and serve

  1. Taste the broth and adjust salt or pepper only if needed, using small pinches so the filling and broth stay balanced.
  2. Divide the soup evenly among four warm bowls, making sure each serving gets chicken, tortellini and vegetables.

Plating

  1. Divide the soup evenly among four warm bowls, making sure each serving gets chicken, tortellini and vegetables.

Family Beverage

Sparkling water with lemon

Alcohol Beverage

A crisp, dry Italian white wine such as Pinot Grigio.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with crusty bread and a simple green salad; add a squeeze of lemon if desired.

Notes

A playful Italian-American soup take on honey-garlic chicken bites; keep the glaze modest so the broth remains savory rather than sweet. Per adult serving, someone tracking daily goals can pair it with additional vegetables or a small side according to their remaining protein and carbohydrate needs.

Storage

Refrigerate in a covered container within 2 hours; keep up to 3 days. Tortellini will soften as it sits.

Freezing

Freeze the broth, vegetables and chicken for up to 2 months; for best texture, cook and add fresh tortellini after thawing.

Photo of your cooked dish